On college campuses and school playgrounds across America, kids can be heard using the slang word “yo.” Now, however, this common term is being used in a very different context“as a gender-neutral pronoun.

Various articles printed in The Baltimore Sun, The Utne Reader online, Big News Day, The New Scientist and some lesser-known blogs claim the term originated in Baltimore, Md. about two years ago.

“More and more people are starting to use [gender neutral pronouns] as their personal preferred pronouns,” said Elise Herrig ’10, a member of the University’s Trans/Gender Group.

While the use of gender-neutral pronouns has become increasingly popular in the trans and queer communities, Herrig said other gender neutral pronouns have origins that are equally as grassroots as “yo.”

“The difference here may be that it seems that this pronoun is developing in high schools and isn’t necessarily linked to the trans or queer community, which may influence its usage and spread,” Herrig said

Language experts from Big News Day’s article say “yo’s” grassroots origins could potentially launch it into a more popular gender neutral pronoun than the ones with which we are currently more familiar. According to the same article, the current users of the pronoun stretch from teenagers in Baltimore to professors at Johns Hopkins University.

Liam Stansen ’10, another member of the University’s Trans/Gender Group, emphasized that these are just the types of users who are vital in spreading the pronoun’s popularity.

“Getting administrators, professors, teachers [and] people in positions of authority in general to use and accept them in papers, presentations and discussions as proper grammar will help dramatically,” Stansen said.

Professor of Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies Christina Crosby agreed that Wesleyan is the ideal institution to help make gender-neutral pronouns a greater part of colloquial speech.

“As a university we are engaged in the production of knowledge, and certainly the study of how gender works is an important scholarly field,” Crosby said. “What happens in academic circles matters.”

Some scholars, however, find the use of “yo” as a gender-neutral pronoun offensive. Crosby wondered why “yo” has started being used this way in the first place.

“I’ve not encountered ’yo,’ and would wish to know more about why it’s being promoted as an alternative to ’ze,’” Crosby said.

Stansen explained that the pronoun’s popularity among the young not only means it is probably foreign to the old, but also that its future will be unknown as its innovators will inevitably grow up.

“I can see that older generations might think [it’s crass], but it’s going to really depend on how this word evolves and how, as people who use it now get older, they continue to use it,” Stansen said.

Herrig emphasized that gender-neutral pronouns are becoming increasingly common in our society, as they can be very useful.

“I think it can help if people are introduced to them when at a younger age and use them regularly in their speech.” Herrig said. “I would love to see more schools introduce them through teachers or professors using them.”

Stansen explained that gender-neutral pronouns gain popularity the same way any other word does: through use.

“The best way is to educate those people in hopes that it will eventually become a part of the English language,” Stansen said.

In the same vein, Crosby emphasized that both students and professors should be open to using the pronouns “ze” and “hir,” and should engage with the question of gender neutral pronouns at the beginning of every class.

“These pronouns are significant as an alternative to gender-specific pronouns to students and faculty committed to thinking about gendering as a social process, not simply a given,” Crosby said. “Here at Wesleyan some students are strongly committed to the use of gender neutral pronouns, and have asked that faculty and students alike be open to the use of ’ze’ and ’hir.’”

Crosby suggested that although Wesleyan may be just the place to start raising awareness, the process will not happen overnight.

“Social change takes a long time,” Crosby said. “The move away from the universal ’he’ took decades. Changing to gender neutral pronouns will be a process.”