Comment: Gender-inclusive pronouns have been part of English literature for centuries, says Surrey academic

"Did you know that 'newly invented' pronouns like sie/hir or ae/aer (neopronouns) have been around since the 14th century? Or that the singular you is a more recent addition to the English language than singular they? 

"These are only two of many surprising facts that literary history can teach us about gender-inclusive pronouns. 

"Where current debates about language policies might have us believe that pronouns that challenge the gender binary are strictly a 21st-century issue, celebrated authors from Margaret Cavendish to Aphra Behn to Virginia Woolf show us that gender nonconformity pronouns have not just been in use for centuries, but are also beautiful enough to have made it into some of the most celebrated novels and poems in English. 

"My forthcoming book Queer Forms and Pronouns investigates how unusual pronouns have shaped famous literary texts across the centuries, but also how much of an impact pronouns are having on contemporary novels, poems and plays. Considering recently introduced bans on inclusive language and pronoun sharing in the US, Germany, Argentina and many other countries, it is vital to learn more about how pronouns make queer and trans stories tellable, LGBTQIA+ lives possible."