History Main / GenderNeutralWriting

[[quoteright:350:[[Webcomic/{{Xkcd}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2021_02_02_011705.png]]]]

* Marshmallow from ''WebAnimation/TheAnnoyingOrange'' has this as a ''Main/RunningGag running joke'' with several episodes involving characters unsuccessfully trying to determine Marshmallow’s gender with Marshmallow messing with anyone who tries until the episode [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0o7jvEXGDU Pride]] where Marshmallow is [[spoiler:revealed to be non binary]] after [[spoiler:deactivating a malfunctioning quantum computer, which is justified through a joke]]

* Marshmallow from ''WebAnimation/TheAnnoyingOrange'' has this as a [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RunningGag running joke]] with several episodes involving characters unsuccessfully trying to determine Marshmallow’s gender with Marshmallow messing with anyone who tries until the episode [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0o7jvEXGDU Pride]] where Marshmallow is [[spoiler:revealed to be non binary]] after [[spoiler:deactivating a malfunctioning quantum computer, which is justified through a joke]]

* The original ''LightNovel/KinosJourney'' novels were written so as not to reveal the gender of the protagonist (until a certain point, anyway), although the English translations throw that entirely out the window since it's a lot harder to do in English.

*** The East Asian languages (Chinese, Korean and Japanese) don't suffer from this kind of discrimination thanks to the lack of grammatical gender, and the traditional practice of using the same words for both males and females (such as "emperor", "king", "god", etc.), even though words specific for females ("empress", "queen", "goddess", etc.) are still available due to Western influence.

*** Conservative languages with grammatical gender, however, don't really seem to be trying to be gender neutral despite the intent of doing so in the English version, so Nissa is specifically a "stewardess" in [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?printed=true&multiverseid=427175 German]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?printed=true&multiverseid=427713 French]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?printed=true&multiverseid=427982 Italian]], and [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?printed=true&multiverseid=429058 Russian]], while Nylea is specifically a "goddess" in [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?printed=true&multiverseid=374306 German]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?printed=true&multiverseid=374555 French]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?printed=true&multiverseid=374804 Italian]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?printed=true&multiverseid=376049 Spanish]] and [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?printed=true&multiverseid=375800 Russian]] even though her subtype is still "God", not "Goddess".

[[folder:Real Life]]
* This is generally a practice with non-binary (gender-neutral) people, who are considered neither male nor female and fall outside the gender demographic.
[[/folder]]

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseFuture'': The character Shep uses they/them pronouns, and is the first non-binary character in an animated series.

** In "Understanding Willow", Amity refers to a [[ItMakesSenseInContext nonexistent cute ghost]] with they/them pronouns, with Boscha following suit.

** Raine Whispers from "Eda's Requiem" is referred to with they/them pronouns and confirmed by WordOfGod to be nonbinary.

* Unlike [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossing previous titles]], ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewLeaf'' mainly uses this for when NPC villagers refer to one another (e.g. "Thanks [player] for delivering that to [villager], I hope they enjoy it!"). It is unknown why this is done, though cartridge space and development deadlines are two possible inferences.
* ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewHorizons'' does away with gender options almost entirely, instead having the player choose one of two "styles" (in non-Japanese versions) at the beginning, the choice of which has no effect on clothing options or hairstyles, and can be easily changed at will later in the game. The [=NPCs=] generally only refer to player characters by they/them pronouns as well.

* ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewHorizons'' does away with gender options almost entirely, instead having the player choose one of two "styles" (in localizations outside of Japan) at the beginning, the choice of which has no effect on clothing options or hairstyles, and can be easily changed at will later in the game. The [=NPCs=] generally only refer to player characters by they/them pronouns as well.

** The Japanese versions of the games typically avoid gendered language regarding Kirby (and WordOfGod is that he's agender or non-binary), though on the rare occasions he talks, he uses the boyish [[UsefulNotes/JapanesePronouns pronoun]] "boku." Because gender-neutral writing is more difficult in other languages, international versions discard this and refer to him as a boy.
** The English version of ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'' refers to Wild Edge, Wild Bonkers, and [[spoiler:Fecto Forgo]] as "they." While Wild Edge wears a gender-concealing suit of armor, and it's very likely [[spoiler:Fecto Forgo]] is outright genderless, Bonkers has a masculine design and voice and has been referred to as male before, so it's unclear why gender-neutral writing is in play for them now.

** There's also a character-specific version for Shiver, one of this game's [[IdolSinger idols]]. While Frye and Big Man are referred to with female and male pronouns respectively, any references to Deep Cut avoid any descriptions or dialogue as to Shiver's gender.

* ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'' does the same and asks the player to select a "style" when designing their character. Makes sense, since the team behind ''New Horizons'' just above is also responsible for this game.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'': [[PlayerCharacter Byleth]] is usually referred to by other characters as just "the Professor"; or, when in relation to their father, Jeralt, his "child", which can get a bit {{narm}}-y considering Byleth is a full-grown adult. Like the above ''Animal Crossing'' and ''Splatoon'' examples, the gender choice is also referred to as "choosing a form". On the rare occasions that Byleth is referred to with third-person pronouns, "they" is used.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'': [[PlayerCharacter Byleth]] is usually referred to by other characters as just "the Professor", or, when in relation to their father, Jeralt; his "child", which can get a bit {{narm}}-y considering Byleth is a full-grown adult. Like the above ''Animal Crossing'' and ''Splatoon'' examples, the gender choice is also referred to as "choosing a form".

** The English version of ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'' refers to Wild Edge and Wild Bonkers as "they."

** The English version of ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'' refers to Wild Edge as "they", keeping the gender of whoever's under the armor (if indeed they have one) ambiguous.

** ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'' initially refers to its PlayerCharacter Kris the same way as the human child from ''Undertale''. However, while gendered terms are always avoided, character from Chapter 2 on all refer to Kris as "they" (including their close friends and mother, so it's definitely Kris' preferred pronoun), again suggesting Kris is non-binary.

* Done to infuriating effect in Episode 7 of ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'': that damn narration ''won't'' tell us if Lion is a guy or a girl. It is done subtly enough that you will only notice after a while that something is off. It is also used in [[spoiler:Yasu/Beatrice's flashback; since Yasu is later revealed to be an AlternateSelf of Lion.]]

* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'' with a joke mocking PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad. Jay is a trucker in this episode, delivering a shipment of politically correct textbooks to a private school. In one scene, we cut to a student asking his father when he (Jay) is going to get here, to which his father replies, distressed, "He or ''she'', son! ''He or she''!

* Every character in ''VideoGame/{{Everhood}}'' goes by they/them.

* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', Vaarsuvius the elf, [[spoiler:their spouse, and their [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0629.html adopted children]]]] exclusively speak of each other in gender neutral language, in part through TranslationConvention. Other characters either acknowledge Vaarsuvius' AmbiguousGender in speech or guess at pronouns.

* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2'', almost nobody but Roxas refers to Xion by gender. This is understandable, since [[spoiler: while Xion considers herself female, she's a memory construct who everyone sees differently based on their connection to Sora. Xigbar, for instance, sees Ven...who looks exactly like Roxas. While Saix sees a faceless puppet.]]

* Unlike previous titles, ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNew Leaf'' mainly uses this for when NPC villagers refer to one another (e.g. "Thanks [player] for delivering that to [villager], I hope they enjoy it!"). It is unknown why this is done, though cartridge space and development deadlines are two possible inferences.