Journalist and self-described “gay conservative” Chad Felix Greene has sparked controversy by attacking the use of “they” as a singular pronoun and criticizing the American Psychological Association (APA) for endorsing its usage. Writing for The Federalist, Greene declared, “The APA style guide is widely used in academic writing, and the decision to essentially create a new usage from an established pronoun is absurd.” However, contrary to Greene's claims, the usage of "they" as a singular pronoun is far from new. Dennis Baron, a professor of English and linguistics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, pointed out in a 2018 Oxford English Dictionary blog post that the pronoun dates back to 1375, appearing in the medieval romance William and the Werewolf. Baron also highlighted the widespread, and often unconscious use of the singular “they.” Linguist Geoff Nunberg echoed these sentiments on NPR’s Fresh Air in 2016 after the American Dialect Society named “they” their word of the year for 2015. This recognition came after President Barack Obama used “they” as a singular pronoun in his State of the Union address. As respected figures like William Shakespeare and Jane Austen and institutions like the APA, the Oxford English Dictionary, and Merriam-Webster, have embraced inclusive pronoun usage, Greene’s objections seem increasingly out of touch with both historical precedent and contemporary practice. #Queer Up Gay Culture