Hey folks! Caster Clubhouse doesn't ask for much personal information from you in general, but one of the fields available in your user control panel is the option to have a pronoun set listed with your user info. These pronouns will be visible alongside your other info throughout the forum, can be changed whenever you'd like, and are intended to make communication easier between members by creating a more inclusive environment.
We know this may be new for some people, and that not everybody is familiar with all the options listed. This guide will briefly cover the different options available, answer some common questions, and give some examples of how unfamiliar pronouns would work in a sentence. If you have any additional questions, requests or concerns, please contact myself, @Alex directly via private ("direct") message!
Available Options
These are all of the pronoun options currently available for Clubhouse members to select. Sentence examples are given below.
He / him / his / his / himself
She / her / her / hers / herself
They / them / their / theirs / themself
They (plural) / them / their / theirs / themselves
Ae / aer / aer / aers / aerself
Ey / em / eir / eirs / emself
Fae / faer / faer / faers / faerself
Ii / it / its / its / itself
Xe / xem / xyr / xyrs / xemself
Ze / hir / hir / hirs / hirself
Ze / zir / zir / zirs / zirself
The following options are also available as alternatives;
Any Pronouns - you can use any set of acceptable pronouns for this person.
Mix Up Pronouns - change which pronouns you use for this person every once in a while.
No Pronouns - only use names or descriptors for this person.
NOTE: the pronoun "it" is included on the list of pronoun options above. Some people are uncomfortable with this pronoun and unless someone has specified that you may use it for that person, we do not recommend using it for mixing up or using any pronoun.
Pronoun Examples
The following examples show how different sets of pronouns are used in sentences. There are resources for practicing these at the end of the post if you wish to learn on your own.
HE: He goes to my school. I know him well. His work was always great. The umbrella was his. He never sat by himself.
SHE: She is my best friend. I well to the mall with her. Her dog was named Daisy. The idea was all hers. She called herself a loner.
THEY: They belonged to a band. This was all on them. Their hair was dyed blue. The cat is theirs. They sang the song all by themself.
THEY (Plural): They were in second place. This would be a first for them. Their coat looked nice. The parking spot was theirs. They came up with it by themselves.
AE: Ae is going out of town soon. It was a good day for aer. I took aer advice. The celebration was all aers. Ae bought the house for aerself.
EY: Ey is a teacher. Everyone liked em. I went to eir party. The potato salad was eirs. E made it all by emself.
FAE: Fae is coming for the weekend. I don't blame faer. Faer girlfriend was late. The top bunk was faers. Fae always knew faerself well.
IT: It was a good friend. I went with it to work. Its house was old. The car was its. It picked the hat out for itself.
XE: Xe is learning to dance. I love xem. This was xyr couch. The plan was xyrs. Xe drove xemself.
ZE: Ze is studying to become a doctor. I went on a date with hir. This was hir favourite place. The dessert idea was hirs. Ze was paying for med school by hirself.
ZE: Ze is pretty quiet. I shared an apartment zir. Zir desk was in the living room. All the mugs was zirs. Ze had painted the whole place by zirself.
Frequently Asked Questions
A couple of basic questions people may have about the pronouns available on the site.
Why is there two pronoun fields?
Some people have multiple personal preferences for which pronouns they would like people to use, such as using both 'she' and 'they' interchangeably. The Alt. Pronouns field is for people to select a secondary, or alternative set of pronouns for that purpose if they'd like to, though it is not mandatory for anyone to use. If you see someone with two pronoun fields filled out, it may help to know that the first one is usually the primary set.
Why are the options listed in the order they are in?
The pronoun sets are organized here and in the options list with the three most popular in alphabetical order, then in alphabetical order all the pronouns we added when we first created the forum. After that, pronouns are added in request order. We cannot change the order of the pronouns without losing everyone's selections due to software limitations.
What's the difference between 'they' and 'they (plural)'?
Though most people who use 'they/them' pronouns use singular they ("themself"), or don't particularly mind, it is not uncommon for some people to prefer using the plural they ("themselves"). Sometimes this is just a personal preference, or it can be a neurodivergent need. Generally, most won't mind if you mix them up by accident, but we have listed them separately all the same to give people the option if they want or need it.
What's the difference between 'ze/zir' and 'ze/hir'?
These two sets are some of the oldest 'neo pronoun' sets that were invented over the last few decades, either for gender non-conforming people or for science fiction purposes. Both versions of the spelling and pronunciation have existed for so long that despite their similarities, they are widely considered to be different sets, and aren't viewed as interchangeable or alternative spellings.
I am uncomfortable using "it" pronouns for someone.
Though "it" pronouns are rare, they are becoming increasingly common among non-binary/gender non-conforming people. We do understand that some people have bad experiences or feelings surrounding using these, but we encourage those who may be struggling to try and be accommodating if possible, perhaps by using the person's name or a descriptor ("original person" or "person above me") when referencing. Deliberately using the incorrect pronouns for someone, however, is not acceptable, and will be handled appropriately.
Why are there so many options? Am I REALLY expected to use these?
You may not need all the options available - or see why someone would - but that does not change the fact that some people do need those options. 'Nerd' hobbies, such as trading card games, have long been dominated by men, but the fact remains that a huge - and growing - demographic of these communities are women and non-binary people. A part of broadening our communities means broadening our horizons as people, and recognizing that anyone can - and should! - play the game. Per our good faith policy, joining this community on Caster Clubhouse means accepting the fact that people may be using pronouns you are not familiar with, and that you are expected to respect that, even if it is not inline with your personal beliefs. We are all here to have a good time about a good game, and being mature about these things is a part of doing your part in reaching that goal. I am sure if you try, you will find it is not actually that hard.
Places to Practice Pronouns
We recommend these websites as places you can practice different pronoun sets or learn more about different sets and their origins.
Practice with Pronouns - use fill in the blanks to learn different sets.
Pronouns by Minus18 - fill in the blanks to learn different sets. Also has examples.
English Pronouns Wiki - has lots of information on a wide range of pronouns.
Gender Census - census that includes information on pronouns.