this post was submitted on 28 Mar 2024
453 points (100.0% liked)
196
16437 readers
1698 users here now
Be sure to follow the rule before you head out.
Rule: You must post before you leave.
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
It doesn’t but at this point it should.
It’s weird and confusing to pluralize a sentence when you’re still talking about a singular individual. We should normalize “Why is they so cute?” If we refuse to make a new non-demeaning word for a singular.
I say non-demeaning because “Why is it so cute?” Is correct, but calling a living being “it” is objectifying.
I used to think that too, until I realized that verb conjugation in English is not decided by whether the subject is singular or plural. "You" can be both singular or plural, yet we always say "you are" and never "you is". Same for the pronoun "they". It's always "they are".
Unless you is also willing to normalize "you is", I think "they are" is good enough.