Vermont Bar Journal, Vol. 40, No. 2 Vermont Bar Journal, Fall 2016, Vol. 42, No. 3 | Page 38

Welcome to our Gender-Neutral Future
voice . 46
New voices in the trans and genderqueer communities are speaking , and it is my hope that we recognize their worth and dignity . Using gender-neutral pronouns is a way to show respect , to show we care . You can start small by using they for indefinite pronouns , and then for generic nouns as your comfort level grows . But I say , let ’ s go all the way . Let ’ s be the gay choir for next year ’ s words . Let ’ s use the singular they !
On a different note , our next column will be an advice column . Please email your writing questions to askthewritingprof @ gmail . com . No question is too big or small ! ____________________ Greg Johnson , Esq . is Professor of Law and the Director of the Legal Writing Program at Vermont Law School . ____________________
1
Henry Weihofen , Legal Writing Style 19 ( 2 nd ed . 1980 ).
2
Genderqueer is an umbrella term for those who are gender non-conforming , or who are gender fluid ( moving from one gender to another ), or who do not identify with any gender .
3
Bryan Garner , The Redbook 179 ( 3 rd ed . 2013 ).
4
Id . at 182 ( at 182 (“ It is no longer customary to use a masculine form as a gender-neutral inclusive ( that is , with the understanding that the feminine is included as well .”)).
5
Francine Wattman Frank & Paula A . Treichler , Language , Gender , and Professional Writing 142 ( 1989 ).
6
Deborah E . Bouchoux , Aspen Handbook for Legal Writers 25 ( 3 rd ed . 2013 ).
7
Marilyn Schwartz , et al ., Guidelines for Bias- Free Writing 20-21 ( 1995 ).
8
Id . at 20 .
9
Wattman Frank , supra note 5 , at 161 ; see Bouchoux , supra , note 6 , at 25 ( These constructions “ create an awkward appearance because slashes are seldom used in legal writing . Their use is noticeable and distracting .”).
10
Bouchoux , supra note 6 , at 25 .
11
Id .
12
Anne Enquist & Laurel Currie Oates , Just Writing 190 ( 3 rd ed . 2009 ).
13
Weihofen , supra note 1 , at 20 .
14
The Need for a Gender Neutral Pronoun , Gender Neutral Pronoun Blog , at https :// genderneutralpronoun . wordpress . com /
15
Gender-specific and gender-neutral pronouns , Wikipedia , at https :// en . wikipedia . org / wiki / Gender-specific _ and _ gender-neutral _ pronouns
16
See Robert McCrum , et al ., The Story of English 346 ( 1986 ) (“ The new uses of English are often generated by in groups as a code . They can be used to include the members of the circle and to exclude outsiders .”).
17
Robert D . Eagleson , A Singular Use of They , Scribes J . of Leg . Writing 89 ( 1994 ).
18
“ The jury , passing on a prisoner ’ s life / May in the sworn twelve have a thief or two / Guiltier than him they try .” From Measure for Measure , quoted in , Joyce R . Rosenberg , A Singular Understanding of “ They ”, 85 J . Kansas Bar Ass ’ n 20 ( 2016 ).
19
“ I would have everyone marry if they can do it properly .” From Mansfield Park , quoted in Rosenberg , supra note 18 .
20
“ A person can ’ t help their birth .” From Vanity Fair , quoted in Rosenberg , supra note 18 .
21
Eagleson , supra note 17 , at 89 .
22
Id .
23
Quoted in Schwartz , supra note 7 , at 17 ,
24
Enquist and Oates , supra note 12 , at 136 .
25
Id . at 190 .
26
Email of Andrej Starkis on October 23 , 2015 ( copy on file with author ).
27
Frank E . Cooper , Writing in Law Practice ( 1953 ).
28
David Mellinkoff , The Language of the Law 421 ( 1963 ).
29
William Strunk & E . B . White , The Elements of Style ( 4 th ed . 1979 ).
30
Henry Weihofen , Legal Writing Style 17 ( 1 st
ed . 1961 ).
31
Weihofen , supra note 1 , at 19 .
32
Id . at 19-20 .
33
See Ben Zimmer , On Language , NY Times ( October 23 , 2009 ) available at http :// www . nytimes . com / 2009 / 10 / 25 / magazine / 25FOB-onlanguage-t . html ?_ r = 0
34 http :// www . merriam-webster . com / words-atplay / mx-gender-neutral-title
35
Id .
36
Schwartz , supra note 7 , at 25 .
37
See Vermont Const . ch . II , § 76 .
38
1 U . S . C . § 1 .
39
Julie Scelfo , A University Recognizes a Third Gender : Neutral , NY Times ( February 3 , 2015 ), available at http :// www . nytimes . com / 2015 / 02 / 08 / education / edlife / a-universityrecognizes-a-third-gender-neutral . html
40
Id .
41
John Tagliabue , Swedish School ’ s Big Lesson Begins with Dropping Personal Pronouns , NY Times ( November 13 , 2012 ).
42
Cheryl Hanna , State Constitutional Decision Making and Principles of Equality : Revisiting Baker v . State and the Question of Gender in the Marriage Equality Debate , 74 Albany L . Rev . 1683 , 1698 ( 2011 ).
43
McCrum , supra note 16 , at 343 ( this quote is from the book accompanying the documentary ).
44
Id . ( quoting William Wordsworth ).
45
Id . at 11 .
46
Id . at 341 .
38 THE VERMONT BAR JOURNAL • FALL 2016 www . vtbar . org