PETA is asking the Associated Press to avoid speciesist language and set an example for newsrooms by referring to all animals respectfully as He, She, or They, and NOT as It.
PETA: With the 2020 edition of The Associated Press Stylebook due out in June, PETA sent a letter urging the Associated Press to revise its pronoun policy for animals. The 2019 edition of the stylebook currently requires the use of “it” for any animal who hasn’t been given a name or had their sex identified by humans. For instance, it now offers “The cat, which was scared, ran to its basket.”
PETA — an organization that opposes speciesism, the damaging belief that all other animal species are inferior to humans—suggests using the pronouns “he,” “she,” or “they” for all animals, with “they” as an appropriate choice for an animal of unknown gender. (“The cat, who was scared, ran to their basket.”)
“Language matters. Words influence how we think and behave, so reducing a cat or another animal to an ‘it’ encourages the mindset that allows us to kill sentient beings for snacks or shoes or to test products like shampoo on them,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA is asking the Associated Press to avoid speciesist language and set an example for newsrooms by referring to all animals respectfully as ‘he,’ ‘she,’ or ‘they.’” SOURCE…
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