To start, there are many terms that will appear a little later,
that are all important to define now. Many of the non-binary folk fall under
the trans* umbrella. This includes those who are transitioning from MTF (male
to female), FTM (female to male), and those who are transitioning to other
options that aren't found within the "binary (two) gender" system. It
also includes those who are polygender, agender, and non-binary folk who may
not be transitioning but may still feel like they are not a part of the social
constructed gender. Each person uses different pronouns, which include
"he/him/his...she/her/hers...they/them/theirs" but also branch out
into ones that are not commonly used in "standard English", such as
"ze/zer(hir)/zers(hirs)" and "xe/xem/xyrs". All of these
are valid pronouns (sorry not sorry English teachers), and more information
about them can be found here: https://genderneutralpronoun.wordpress.com/tag/genderqueer/
It’s
important to use the correct pronouns because otherwise it erases a huge part
of people’s identities. For example, if you were to refer to a cis-woman (note,
cis refers to someone whose gender matches their sex at birth), you would not
say “he went to the store”. It’s the same idea here. Without the use of correct
pronouns, it breaks down the identity rather than creating an accepting space
for those under the trans* umbrella. Being misgendered is one of the worst
feelings in the world because it creates the idea that one has to be “passing”
in order to be accepted in society. It’s also hard to explain exactly how it
feels to be misgenedered, it’s almost like you can feel your heart shattering
onto the floor and you have no other option but to pick it up and try to piece
it back together only to repeat the process for what feels like eternity. For
example, trans* women have to present femininely otherwise they are seen as
being “fake women” or “men in dresses”. By not using the correct pronouns or
word endings in any language, you give off the idea that those who are in the
trans* community don’t belong in any language. It also helps to perpetuate the
stereotype that there are “only two genders” in the world, and that those who
do not accept this are somehow mentally ill or should be discriminated against
because of who they are.
However, what happens when someone who uses different pronouns
or someone under the trans* umbrella tries to translate these into Spanish?
While there are some options available, there are also many people who believe
that these terms "undermine Spanish" and the heritage found with it.
What do you do if you need to refer to someone who uses
"they/them/theirs" pronouns in a language that is highly gendered?
How do you include the non-binary within the binary? In the case of Spanish,
some gender neutral terms already exist, but there are a few that are gaining
popularity within the Queer community as well.
For articles, letter substitutions are some of the most popular
ways to control gender within the language. For example, replacing
traditionally masculine or feminine endings with "@" can help control
this. Phrases such as "l@s amig@s" (pronounced laos amigaos) is a way
to say "the friends" without assuming that they are all girls
(amigas) or all boys/a mix of genders (amigos). Another substitution (and my
personal favorite) is to replace the traditional endings with "x".
Pronouncing this is a little difficult in Spanish, as it makes a hard “ex”
sound as found in English, after a while it just seems natural to say
"vamos a la playa con mis amigxs" or "ellx usx las pronombres de
genero neutral". There's also gender neutral personal pronouns that are
being used in Spanish, including "le/les" for indirect object
pronouns and "ele/elles" for direct object pronouns, and the agender
indicators "-ol/oles" for articles and objects and then
"ol/olles" for pronouns. Both the endings and the personal pronouns
can be used in both a formal and conversational sense, and help include those
who may feel excluded by the language barriers.
While it's important to create genderless spaces in language,
it's also important to create communication while you are doing so. For
example, while having these pronouns is useful for those who you know use
"they/them/theirs", it's important to ask what pronouns someone uses
before making assumptions about gender. You can also use a mixture of pronouns
if the person or people you are referring to use a mixture of pronouns. For
example, if I were to talk about a friend who I knew used
"he/him/his/they/them/theirs", I would say "ello es un bien
amigx". While this topic is still being debated, it's important to
remember that those under the trans* umbrella are also people that have feelings,
and it's important to include them in a highly gendered space.
References
