2 Reasons Why “They” is the Best Animal Pronoun
By: Phoenix Huber
Tags: Creative, LGBTQ, Animals, Psychology, Ideas

Perspective Piece

2 Reasons Why “They” is the Best Animal Pronoun

Every species of animal is astonishingly unique — including their sexes

Photo by Mylon Ollila on Unsplash

There’s a simple reason I don’t think of nonhumans animals as he’s and she’s.

The sexual dimorphism of a cat or a seahorse is unique. It’s different from the sexual dimorphism of a human.

Human biology & culture form a vast database of what gender means to us. When we label someone a she or a he, these pronouns carry a library of connotations — connotations that don’t make sense for a dolphin.

Of course, he and she don’t tell the full story of Homo sapiens either. Up to 2% of our bodies have intersex traits. Some of us are trans, non-binary, or behave atypically of our sex. Don’t forget Finnish! This language uses a single pronoun, hän, instead of dividing us by gender.

As education increases, we English speakers have options: she, they, he… If you don’t know a person’s pronoun, it’s great to just say they.

But what does this have to do with nonhuman animals?

A fish or pig won’t be offended by the “wrong” pronoun. They speak their own languages. They won’t know or care what we’re saying.

Besides, people are more used to saying she and he. These pronouns successfully convey that an animal is a sentient being — not an object or an it — and that’s tremendously important.

Nevertheless, there are 2 reasons why calling an animal they/them makes more sense from my point of view.

He/she makes it seem like sex is what defines us. They affirms that we are unique and complex beings, not reducible to genitals. He/she erases animals’ diversity. Female and male function very differently depending on whether you’re an ostrich, ant, or octopus.

Let’s explore both of those points in more detail.

Sex & reproduction do not define us

We are more than our private parts. But for centuries, people have been forced into roles they might not choose (such as child-rearing, or war) just because of what’s between their legs.

Meanwhile, we equate animals with how their reproductive organs can serve us. For example, “dairy cows” have their babies taken. That way, humans can have the milk. This happens when the cow and calf are still intensely bonded and they mourn the separation.

“Egg-laying hens,” too, suffer abuses and slaughter that would shock us if done to a dog. Male chicks can’t lay eggs, of course, so they get immediately put in a grinder or otherwise killed. Again, just because of their sex.

Sex caused us to exist. Now that we’re here, we’re unique and complex sentient beings who seek happiness and health. “M or F” is a contributing factor to our experiences, but it doesn’t define who we are.

Every species of animal is astonishingly unique — including their sexes

We dimorphic mammals have things in common. Adult males shoot sperm. Adult females gestate and lactate.

It’s exciting to see ourselves in animals. We might relate to how a female gorilla nurses her young, or how a male lion acts all high-testosterone and dominant over his pride.

Still, sex traits are massively diverse. Let’s not project human gender differences onto various nonhumans who are not all the same.

To start with ourselves, look how unique it is to be a male or female human. Apart from our primate cousins, only spiny mice, elephant shrews, and some bats are known to menstruate.

Our forward-facing intercourse, and making out, are rare in other species.

It remains a scientific mystery why humans have permanent boobs; breasts aren’t limited to when we’re pregnant or lactating.

Here are some ways in which other species, too, are incredibly individual in how their sexes operate.

Size contrast

Gotta love this National Geographic headline: This Octopus is 40,000 Times Heavier Than Her Mate.

Genital contrast

Most birds have cloaca. They release either sperm or eggs, but both sexes have what we would compare to a vagina. Peregrine falcon privates are hard to tell apart.

By contrast, there are animals with matching phallic organs. Elephants and spotted hyenas have either a penis or “penile-clitoris.”

Color

Imagine if “men and women” implied different body colors. Like the bright feathers donned by male peafowl and mallard ducks.

Intersex traits

Some 1 in 2,000 humans are born with ambiguous genitalia, but true hermaphroditism does not exist with us. Banana slugs, on the other hand, are fully stocked with both female and male sex organs.

Clownfish are born male. The largest male in a group becomes female. This is an example of sequential hermaphroditism.

In cows, when twins are of opposite sex, the female comes out a freemartin. The freemartin has a bigger clitoris, different innards, and is usually sterile.

You could say the spaying and neutering of domestic animals further distinguishes their sex from what most humans know.

Parenting

It’s the male seahorse who gets pregnant, not the female.

Male emu birds are the “stay-home parents” who sit on the eggs and look after the chicks when they hatch. The females are not involved.

Mating and pair bonds

When we humans mate, we often form bonded pairs. Most of us are heterosexual.

Pair bonds are unheard of in some species. There are also at least 70 species of vertebrates that are asexual. Check out the all-female whiptail lizards.

One study showed 94% of giraffes’ sexual acts were male-on-male. In other words, most giraffe sex is gay. However, females only mounted females 1% of the time.

Gender would have a different meaning if we humans did not form pair bonds… or if our sexual behavior were distributed like giraffes.

That’s why I don’t think of animals as he’s and she’s. Female and male mean something completely different depending on species. Animals are in leagues of their own.

Photo by Catherine Merlin on Unsplash

What really matters: Animals exist for their own reasons

Women, men, female cows, and male bulls are like 4 distinct sexes.

Oops, I almost forgot freemartins. That’s 5. Don’t forget intersex, agender, and transgender humans like me!

Jokes aside, the reason I’m passionate about this has nothing to do with pronouns.

I just want to say how unique animals are — both as groups, and as individuals. Creatures exist for their own reasons. They certainly don’t fit into our human concepts of gender (which he and she tend to evoke).

She/he will probably prevail as the main animal pronouns we use. I’m at peace with it. It’s so much better than calling an animal it!

Still, I invite you to explore this they/them perspective. See if it enhances your appreciation of our animal neighbors.

Around the globe, we’re embracing human gender diversity like never before. Education and acceptance are on the rise. As a transgender woman, I couldn’t be more thankful.

I pray every day animal protection will see a similar worldwide tipping point. Let’s get to know nonhumans’ uniqueness, just as we celebrate our own. Each animal is a being, with an amazing biology, unique sex, and beautiful species they’re a part of. Let’s stop treating them as food objects, “pests,” or scientific sacrifices to serve our interests. With human creativity and compassion, we can keep finding ways to be kinder.

Thank you.