Well, that’s embarrassing! In an article about preferred pronouns, Hearst Media Senior News Editor Megan Friedman misgendered political correspondent Brit Hume. The faux pas only added to the already ridiculous nature of the story.
Friedman’s article, published for Cosmo, described the new preferred pronoun pins being offered by the University of Kansas library. The pins are part of the “We Belong Here” campaign and reflect the school’s “commitment to supporting the voices of marginalized people,” Dean of Libraries Kevin Smith explained.
Library signs reveal that the university has truly taken a progressive lunge: “Because gender is, itself, fluid and up to the individual,” they read, “Each person has the right to identify their own pronouns, and we encourage you to ask before assuming someone’s gender. Pronouns matter! Misgendering someone can have lasting consequences, and using the incorrect pronoun can be hurtful, disrespectful, and invalidate someone’s identity.”
Interested students should be aware there are only three choices of pin: “They, Them, Theirs,” “She, Her, Hers” and “He, Him, His.” So, as Friedman added, “it’s important to note that some students and staff may actually go by a different pronoun other than he, she, or they.” But, if each person has has the "right to identify their own pronouns," why are the pins prescripted? Why aren't they just fill-in-the-blank?
To conclude, Friedman noted that some people actually disagreed with the university’s initiative. As an example, she quoted a tweet from Fox News Senior Political Analyst Brit Hume, who called the program “foolishness.” Then came the gaffe. “And she,” Friedman wrote of Hume, “got a lot of positive feedback.”
Whoops. Looks like Hume needs a “He, Him, His” button for clarity. In the words of the University of Kansas, “Pronouns matter!”
