Katelyn Burns, a transgender journalist who uses she/her pronouns, called the Times interview “tortuous.” “E also deserves better from media outlets who insist on ‘gracefully avoiding’ (or ‘deftly explaining’ lol) eir identity, which is at the core of the debates over eir memoir.” “Maia deserves better from schools and libraries and parents,” Woodstock, who uses both male and gender-neutral pronouns, wrote in another tweet.
“So interesting that the New York Times can write 2000 words on Maia’s work (which is ABOUT EIR GENDER) being censored, while simultaneously refusing to use Maia’s pronouns in print at any point,” Portland-based journalist Tuck Woodstock, who first reported the Times’ failure to use Kobabe’s preferred pronouns, tweeted Sunday. Nonbinary and gender-expansive people expressed their disappointment in Kobabe’s interview shortly after it had been published, accusing the Times and other mainstream media outlets of erasing “nontraditional” gender identities by failing to properly recognize them. “Our hope is to reflect accepted, standard usage among educated readers.” “The Times is not looking to lead the way, set the rules or break new ground,” Corbett wrote at the time. Corbett, the Times’ associate masthead editor for standards, it is explained that the Times has routinely “avoided nontraditional pronouns, which are likely to be even more confusing or distracting.” (Note: It is The Hill’s policy to use people’s preferred pronouns.) Then-public editor Liz Spayd blamed the “misstep” on “vague guidelines.”
The Times in 2017 caught flak for misgendering nonbinary actor Asia Kate Dillion, who uses the pronoun “they,” in an Op-Ed, referring to them as “she” and “her” on several occasions. Take particular care to avoid confusion if using they for an individual.” “If not, deftly explain the nontraditional usage. “In many cases, pronouns and courtesy titles can be gracefully avoided altogether,” the Times’ style guide reads. The Times did not immediately respond to Changing America’s request for comment, but, according to the outlet’s style guide, writers for the Times are encouraged to “take care to avoid confusion for readers” when using nontraditional pronouns or courtesy titles, like Mx. No pronouns at all are used to describe Kobabe, who throughout the article is identified only by eir last name.Īmerica is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news. The Times in its in interview with Kobabe, 33, wrote that the author “uses gender-neutral pronouns and doesn’t identify as male or female.” But eir pronouns - at the center of “Gender Queer” - were used only once: “In 2016, Kobabe began coming out to friends and family as nonbinary, and using the gender neutral pronouns e, eir and em.” The graphic novel has been banned, challenged and restricted in school libraries across the country for its focus on LGBTQ+ issues and “explicit” images accused by some of being inappropriate for children. The article, published Sunday, details how “Gender Queer” went from a cathartic comic about wrestling with one’s gender identity to the most challenged library book of 2021.
The New York Times is facing backlash from readers after an interview with Maia Kobabe - the author and illustrator of the graphic memoir “Gender Queer” about Kobabe’s coming out as nonbinary - failed to use Kobabe’s preferred gender-neutral pronouns, e, eir and em.
Nonbinary readers took to Twitter on Sunday shortly after the interview was published to share their disappointment, accusing mainstream media outlets more generally of erasing gender-expansive identities in the name of grammar.The Times in its interview acknowledged that Kobabe uses gender-neutral pronouns.The New York Times in an interview with Maia Kobabe, the author of “Gender Queer,” avoided using any pronouns to describe Kobabe, who is nonbinary and uses e, eir and em pronouns.