This blog uses gender neutral pronouns in place of "they" and "it" and "he/she" when discussing people that I don't know enough about to gender correctly.
A little background on gender vs. sex:
One's biological sex (in Western society, at least) is defined by what genitalia one possesses. If one has a penis, one is considered "male bodied" (ie, male) and if one has a vagina, one is considered "female bodied" (ie, female). In addition, there are people with ambiguous genitalia that are referred to as "intersex."
Gender, however, is a social construct that has recently exploded into many alternative forms other than "man" or "woman." To many people, gender is about personal choice and mental comfort, not about penises and vaginae.
I am a firm advocate for gender neutrality, because I believe that just because your biological sex is male or female, that does not mean that you have to identify as a man or a woman (respectively). I know plenty of gender queer people who remain unsure about their gender and prefer neutrality. I also hate assuming gender roles on anyone.
That being said, I use "ze" and "hir." These pronouns are used as follows:
"Ze" is a gender-neutral replacement for "he/she," and is pronounced "zee"
Example: Ze went to the store to pick up some groceries.
"Hir" is a replacement for "his/hers" and is pronounced like the word "here."
Example: Hir books were sprawled all over hir's bed.
Obviously, if I am addressing a plural group of individuals, I still use "they," as that IS a gender neutral plural pronoun. English, as a whole, has yet to create a singular gender neutral pronoun other than "it," and "it'" is obviously used for inanimate objects and not people.
I understand that gender neutral pronouns are a bit hard to grasp at first, but I encourage you to start using them in real life. The gender binary is incredibly limited in describing all the gender identities that exist today.
For more on gender neutral pronouns, I invite you to visit:
http://aetherlumina.com/gnp/
