While there are a number of nonbinary alternatives to he, she, him, her, his, and hers, you don’t have to be confused or put off by these options when dealing respectfully with somebody that identifies as nonbinary, explains the LGBTQ-advocacy organization GLAAD. Instead of worry about whether you ought to say they as well as their or ze and zir, GLAAD suggests starting here:
Listening: “If you’re unsure which pronoun an individual prefers, listen first to the pronoun other people use when talking about them. Someone who knows the person well will probably use the correct pronoun.”
Asking: “If you must ask which pronoun the person uses, start by sharing your personal. For example, ‘Hi, I’m Alex and I use the pronouns he and him. What about you?’”
And if you make a mistake: “Apologize quickly and sincerely, and move on.” The point is to express acceptance of the individual, so “the bigger deal you are making out of the [pronoun] situation, the more uncomfortable it is for everyone.”
