The Cut - They, Then and Now

If you met me, you’d probably ask what pronouns I use. You’d ask me because my gender identity is not that clear — to you, at least. I wear light makeup and paint my nails and, depending on the occasion, might be in a slip dress with a kitten heel. And yet, if you heard me speak, you’d probably assume (correctly) that I was assigned male at birth (AMAB, in the current jargon; I was also, of course, assigned the name Brock). You might assume, based in part on my voice and disposition, that I date and sleep with men, like a gay man (also correct). And so you’d ask what pronouns I use because it’s considered the polite thing to do now — an accepted part of our perilous new social-justice social contract — and you don’t want to offend me with your ignorance and you do want to flatter yourself with your deft ally-ness, all the while probably thinking, especially if you’re over 30, Oh goodness, the world is so different now.

And I’d politely respond, “They/them is fine,” with a smile. Maybe a somewhat forced smile, because I’ve come to dread this whole interaction. If I’m feeling game, I might even ask for your pronouns, though chances are, unless perhaps you’re my age or younger — I’m 24 — they will be exactly what I’d expect. By the end of the ten-word exchange, I’d be a little exhausted and you’d be a little on edge. And if I had to guess, you’d still probably fuck up my pronouns the next time you use them. You almost certainly would when I’m not standing right in front of you.

A Russian journalist has auctioned off his Nobel Peace Prize for $104M to aid Ukrainian children. Our neighbors to the north continue to outdo us. And we’re not talking about Maine. No, Canada is banning single-use plastics by the end of the year. A reminder that COVID isn’t over, so you should still test before group events. Here are 25 titles to add to your reading list: the most significant New York City novels from the last 100 years, according to T magazine. Over 100 million women are estimated to use oral contraceptives, but scientists still can’t agree on whether birth control pills affect one’s mental health. And this is a take we can get behind: Hotels > Airbnbs.

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