original post: https://deadinsi.de/@deing/114567476452775481
this post was submitted on 26 May 2025
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Yes
It's worth to keep in mind that whether something is disparaging or not depends on the intention, and the context. Similar to how, say, "gay" can be used both positively and negatively, for example, "that's so gay".
So why do some people like it/its? You'd need to ask the relevant person, there can be different reasons that are ultimately personal.
But here's one way to think about it: We use 'it' for animals, right? Like if we have a dog, which we love, we often will still say 'it' for it, right? But that doesn't mean we value it less, or somehow objectify it, or treat it like an object. We still acknowledge and respect it as a living breathing feeling being, and yet we may still use 'it' for it. This may be one way people might think of using it/its for themselves, at least!
And also there's something about the vibe of it/its, I dunno, it's hard to describe, but it is kinda growing on me a little bit as well
I don't know a single person who uses "it" for animals. My parents just project their own pronouns onto the animal when they don't know what to call them, and my friends and I spend about 5 minutes trying to figure out the gender expression of This Random Animal We Saw when we are talking about them.
I think plants would be a better candidate, but my friends usually use male pronouns for trees (due to current events) and female pronouns for flowers.
Is this a regional thing? People don't really use she or he for animals here. I live in Europe for reference
Probably doesn't help that 'she' and 'dog' sound very similar in my language
Might be a midwest america thing. I have been thinking about this since posting it, and I think i see this the most prominently with hunters talking about "how pretty she is" when drscribing the deer they just killed.
nhh don't like that
No