A well-known TikToker within the LGBTQ+ community has expressed concerns about the increasing popularity of neopronouns and nounself pronouns, such as xe/xyr, ze/zir, and – in the case of nounself pronouns – “leaf.”
A Small Subset of the LGBTQ+ Community
Link Lauren, the TikToker in question, spoke to Fox News Digital and told them that many individuals within the LGBTQ+ community find neopronouns and nounself pronouns to be “ridiculous.” He emphasized that it’s a small subset of people who adopt these terms and shared concerns about the broader community being held responsible for them.
Neopronouns vs Nounself Pronouns
Neopronouns – like “xe/xyr” and “ze/zir” – were originally designed for non-binary individuals from countries where the language doesn’t have a they/them equivalent. Nounself pronouns – such as “leaf” and “doll” – were designed for neurodivergent people to use to better express their internal experience.
A Divide in the LGBTQ+ Community
Lauren continued to criticize the use of neopronouns and claimed that using them feels akin to speaking a foreign language. He went on to express fear in regard to being associated with that faction of the community and spoke of a divide between those individuals and people seeking integration into mainstream society.
Nounself Pronouns and Neurodivergent People
It’s worth noting that nounself pronouns, and even neopronouns, are often used by neurodivergent people. Such individuals might choose to use these pronouns as a means to express their unique identities. For many, conventional language structures might not adequately capture the complexity of their experiences, which can encompass a wide range of cognitive, sensory, and emotional variations. Nounself pronouns provide an opportunity to break away from traditional gendered words and create a sense of comfort and authenticity.
The Internet Responded
The internet responded to Lauren’s words and opinions were divided. One person wrote: “Personally, I think [nounself pronouns] kinda defeat the purpose of pronouns. I mean, the point of a pronoun is that it’s a short, generic term that you can use to refer to people instead of repeating their names all the time. So if you use pronouns that are longer than a single syllable and are unique to you, functionally speaking, isn’t it more like a nickname than a pronoun?”
A Metaphorical Take On Gender
Some people defended neopronouns and nounself pronouns alike. One person wrote: “I know it’s weird and probably seems laughable to neurotypical people but that’s because nounself pronouns aren’t for you. That’s not to say you can’t use them. It’s just that they’re supposed to be for neurodivergent people who struggle to express their sense of gender with typically gendered terms. Someone who wants to use “leaf” as a pronoun doesn’t literally identify as a leaf. Leaf just doesn’t know how to express leafs (am I meant to use an apostrophe here?) gender so leaf compares it to a leaf. It’s kinda deep and metaphorical.”
Neurodivergence, Xenogenders, and Nounself Pronouns
Others echoed the aforementioned commenter. One person wrote: “[Nounself pronouns] are used for people with xenogenders. Xenogenders are used by trans people who have a hard time with abstract concepts such as gender, typically due to a neurodivergence like autism, and so they describe their gender with certain nouns that they associate with their it.”
The Commenter Continued
The commenter continued their in-depth explanation: “To be clear, they don’t think they are that noun. They just associate that noun with their gender. A person with “catself” pronouns doesn’t think they are a cat but they associate feelings toward their gender with cats. As you might expect, people with nounself pronouns are very rare, even among trans people. However, just because they’re rare doesn’t mean we should overlook them and brush them under the rug.”
Others Were Indifferent
A fair few commenters expressed indifference. One wrote: “I’ve never met or seen someone who has those pronouns but, honestly, to each their own. People shouldn’t receive backlash or judgment for how they experience their identity and it sucks that right-wingers have used it to mock all of us trans people.”
Trans People Should Stick Together
Some commenters said that transgender people need to stick together, even if they don’t agree on everything. “I don’t get neopronouns but I’m not going to throw people under the bus just so I can be a pick me gay to conservatives,” one person wrote. “However silly it seems, stepping on other trans people just to get a leg up yourself is absolutely disgusting,” another said.
Others Shared Personal Stories
Some commenters shared personal stories about individuals they know. One wrote: “I’ve got a friend who uses rain/rainself pronouns whenever it’s raining. They feel surprisingly natural when you get used to them. ‘I was just talking to Jay and rain said we should meet at the cafe.’”
It’s About Respect
Some commenters didn’t see what the problem was. One wrote: “I know someone who used [nounself] pronouns. It’s mainly between close friends but it feels right for them so we use those pronouns. It doesn’t matter that it doesn’t make sense in a traditional way. It makes that specific person feel comfortable, so we continue to use those neopronouns for them.”
16 ANNOYING PHRASES THAT MAKE PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY HATE YOU!
OBSOLETE MILLENNIALS: 14 SKILLS THEY LEARNED IN THE 90S THAT HAVE NO PLACE IN TODAY’S WORLD
OBSOLETE MILLENNIALS: 14 SKILLS THEY LEARNED IN THE 90S THAT HAVE NO PLACE IN TODAY’S WORLD
THE FALL FROM GRACE: 12 PROFESSIONS THAT WERE ONCE REVERED, NOW A TOTAL JOKE
THE FALL FROM GRACE: 12 PROFESSIONS THAT WERE ONCE REVERED, NOW A TOTAL JOKE
FROM ‘OKAY BOOMER’ TO ‘UGH BOOMER’: 10 HABITS THAT IRRITATE MILLENNIALS
Each generation has its quirks. Most label it as an “old person thing” when asked why grandpa or grandma does something unusual. The defense from the other side is that “it was the way things were back in our day.”
FROM ‘OKAY BOOMER’ TO ‘UGH BOOMER’: 10 HABITS THAT IRRITATE MILLENNIALS
