OK, so you're reading a book or telling a story and there's a person whose identity is unknown, or is a hypothetical. I'm of the age where it was basically a grammar rule that in such cases you used male pronouns. "I can't believe this jerk parked his car like that." "Have you seen the graffiti on Main Street? He's really a talented artist." Have we come up with a word yet to replace "his" and "he?"
"They" is used and has been for a relatively short period time; only since the 14th Century. Here is a short article on the subject: https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/singular-nonbinary-they https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/200700 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singular_they
I'm of the same age as you, and I've generally read or heard, "they". These days, if I'm not sure of the bolded, I type "s/he". For a hypothetical, I can't imagine why you wouldn't just keep using "he/him". Mind, this applies to you only as the writer or teller. If you're reading a book, the gender of a subject is goin to be revealed eventually. I was interviewed by a woman named Paige a few years ago, but I know as many dudes with the name as women. So when I was told the name of the person who'd be interviewing me, I asked, "Male or female?"
You left out the verb in your edit. My comment was sarcasm. Wait, don't you remember the 14th Century?
"They" doesn't work anymore, not when "they" itself has become a gender. You can no longer use the word as a generic term when it has acquired a specific meaning.
Of course, you can. See the original post. Using "he" generically, as started in the original post, is really no different than using "they" generically. The only difference is gender bias, in "defaulting" to the male pronoun, although I don't think there is intention in that. Both can have generic uses and gender-determined uses. I wish "they" had not been selected as a singular pronoun. As I have stated previously, I have a number of non-binary friends and I still find "they" awkward. However, my awkwardness in using the pronoun is an incredibly small thing considering what individuals who develop and then express that sense of self feel. I have tremendous respect for anyone who can discover their "true self."
Disagree firmly. I am not "they" in the modern usage. It is disrespectful to me to be called "they" and it is disrespectful to those who are "they" to be lumped in with me.
There are those who want to be called they because they don't subscribe to the existing binary. Yet some think that they is plural and those who chose they are themselves grammatically incorrect thus not in agreement with them on how to use they. Yet they chose to use they so they are not identified as binary. Seems clear to me.
You are looking for neopronouns. There are many, so when you ask if there's one to use - not yet. They Ne Ze Xe Ve Ey All in use, with "they" singular in this case.
Preach. I'll never ever ever get there. I'm a grammar nerd, as most of you know by now. That's another word that needs inventing...I asked my daughter (maybe my son) about this, because I'm a freaking fanatic about "they" being a problem when talking about 1 person. She said I think "ze" is an up and coming word. Or maybe it's pronounced with a short e. Fine with me. If you don't identify as a he or she, more power to you, but you're one person and can't be they. EDIT: In 10 years when someone goes back over this thread, I want it on the record that this post was written simultaneously with the one above.