Use of Gender In The Forged Series: One Author's Take
Forged Series: World-Building
To learn more about the FORGED series, visit the Table of Contents.
A Tinderbox Topic
I’ve always believed that life is not easily described in opposites. Yin and Yang exist, but they are not all that exist. Even a monochromatic world is not exclusively black and white but contains a multitude of grays. Gradients of color. A plethora of tints and shades.
Likewise, a person is not all good or all bad. “Good” people can make a “bad” choices. “Bad” people can make a “good” choices.
And then there’s how our brains work. Aren’t we all on a spectrum of neurodivergence? Because what is “typical” or “normal,” and who gets to decide that? I’ve always believed that we each take up our own pinprick of location along the neurodiversity spectrum, leaning more one way or the other, even shifting over time.
So, let’s talk about gender identity. Why does it have to be a two-option scenario? Why can’t society accept that there are multitudes of grays? A kind of Yin and Yang of chromosomes and reproductive organs, but also a spectrum of gender identity interpretations.
I know, I’m opening myself to a hot topic here, and my relatively sheltered cisgender existence might leave my opinions and beliefs skewed. So, forgive me for oversimplifying this topic for this newsletter.
Society has not been great at tolerance and acceptance. The ability to accept others—to believe in and live a life based on inclusivity as a societal norm—is apparently not hard-coded in our DNA. History has shown us this time and again. Current events prove we have a long way to go and many obstacles to overcome. Again.1
Yet, with more frequency, I’ve seen positive changes to the binary standards—non-gender bathrooms or toilet compartments with shared sink space. Options for non-binary selections on forms and applications. An increased use of (and acceptance of) they/them for individuals or phrases like “Sex Assigned At Birth.” Plus, the adoption of gender-neutral language.
Chairwoman/Chairman — Chairperson
Policeman — Police Officer
Spokesman — Spokesperson
Girlfriend/Boyfriend — Partner
Wife/Husband — Spouse
Stewardess — Flight Attendant
Mailman — Mail Carrier/Postal Worker
Waitress/Waiter — Server/Wait Staff.When writing the Forged series, I considered how a future society might incorporate non-binary gender norms into everyday life. The bathrooms are toilet compartments with a shared sink area. Sports are non-gender specific (though I didn’t go deep into the explanation of this in the storyline). The characters navigate the she/he/they usage without conscious thought.
I figured these practices would be standard 110 years from now (about five generations from today).
Most notable statement
The use of honorifics in Shattered, book one of the Forged series, is devoid of Mr./Mrs./Miss. So, yeah, I’m making a statement.
In fact, the protagonist does not assign any gender to the voices she overhears until she can see them and recognizes them as her aunt and uncle. I purposely limited the titles to Dr. and Mx. for all gender identities.
“What’s your first class?” Isaiah followed me through the front door and asked.
I double-tapped the screen of my Omniband to wake it up and read aloud, “Level Two Calculus with Mx. Fenton.” I glanced sideways at him when he chuckled. “What? Did I say his name wrong?”
Isaiah wrinkled his nose and sucked a breath through his teeth. “No, not exactly.” His voice softened, “But you said ‘mix’ Fenton. We use more of a ‘uh’ sound. Or say it like you’re swallowing the vowel sound. Smoosh the ‘m’ and ‘x’ together, and your Wild accent won’t be as noticeable.”
Excerpt from Shattered, book one of the FORGED Series, coming March 25, 2025, from Provender Press.
When Tessa enters the room for her first class, the teacher has his name and preferred pronouns displayed on the vidscreen, an upgrade from today’s smartboards in many U.S. classrooms. It is the only mention of the pronouns being given, though I imagine if we saw Tessa’s class schedule, pronouns would also be listed there.
This post is public, so feel free to share it. (Someone in your community might be interested too!)
Being mindful does not mean I am perfect
I am a cisgender woman—yes, I go by my initials, which can be confusing until you meet me or at least see a photo of me—but I wanted the Forged series to reflect a society that is wholeheartedly and innately inclusive. While I have friends and acquaintances who identify as agender, genderfluid, or another LGBTQ+ identity, I have no immediate family members who are not cisgender, so my sphere of experience is limited.
That is to say, I still make mistakes and feel awkward when asking someone for their preferred gender. I’m more likely to adjust my word choice to avoid calling a person a gender-specific term than I am to ask them what they prefer. And though I have had readers and editors who are more in tune with acceptable gender-neutral language, my manuscript is not 100% perfect. Just like there is bound to be an extra space somewhere or a comma instead of a period or some egregious spelling error, if you dig enough, I bet you'll find where I messed up a gender identification or misused (or missed) a gender-neutral term.
I can tell you my error was not intentional.
What is intentional
I’ve said this before, but I’ll share it one more time: Words have power.
More specifically: Authors have a duty to share words in ways that model possibilities. Reveal potential paths. Provide a connection for the reader—to the story, the character, the situation. Spark the conversation. Give opportunity for learning and growth. Be the inspiration for what comes next.
My use of Mx. instead of Mr./Mrs./Miss was intentional. I didn’t make up the honorific. One of the first published uses was in Single Parent magazine in 1977. In 2015 and 2016, the term was added to the Oxford English Dictionary and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, respectively. However, I hope that my use of it throughout the Forged series will bring its use one step closer to the norm.
Did I go far enough?
Probably not. Definitely not. So please don’t take this as an opportunity to tear me or my work apart. If you have suggestions or constructive input on how I could do better (write better, be better), please let me know. I’m learning to recognize my own biases and want to eliminate (even unintentionally) hurtful words and actions in my writing and my daily living. And though it may seem like our society is moving backward, I hope my writing keeps open the possibility of how we can move forward.
What I’m reading
Here are some other dystopian and Sci-Fi fiction pieces available on Substack that you might enjoy. Plus, some thought-provoking pieces.
- introduces how we have more than five senses. Don’t believe me? Read this and decide for yourself.
What to do when you no longer exist - I am thankful for writers like
for sharing vulnerable words to help me see beyond my bubble. I wholeheartedly agree! “That we belong, and that you belong, and that I belong, and that there is nothing wrong with being what we are.“What every daughter needs to know - Every person needs to read this and absorb
’s words: “And now here we are, standing in the ruins of what they said couldn't happen, shouldn't happen, wouldn't happen, yet it has happened.“Masculine Energy At Work? How About Way Less Ego Instead -
presents a counterargument to recent political pressure to remove diversity, equality, and inclusivity from our workforce. Also, “Treating people with kindness, consideration, and respect isn’t masculine or feminine—it’s a human trait.”BREAKING NEWS: CDC orders mass retraction… - The CDC policy moves to ensure that no “forbidden terms” appear in their work. Is this how censorship begins?
Before you go
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Exceptions exist, like in our nation’s capital, where gender, equality, and inclusivity trends seem to be going in the opposite direction.
It's important to take some risks when we write, whether it's fiction or non-fiction. And yeah, we might make mistakes, but that's what happens when we use words to envision the future. Keep at it. I like what I see here.
As a side note, maybe you haven't had anyone in your life who is trans, but now you do! I'm happy to be your friend. That's the main reason I write the things I do--to be a trans friend to the people who don't have one yet.
Excellent, CB! Yin/Yang is the perfect symbol, because each pole contains its opposite, showing that nothing is purely black and white.
My wife and I traveled to Europe this summer, and that type of gender-inclusive bathroom is everywhere. There was one funny moment when a young woman, I'm assuming she was American, turned around and left when she saw me washing my hands. I think we're so used to the not really private bathroom stalls we have here that people can't imagine that it's actually more private and secure than what we have today. It might take some getting used to, but these are obvious solutions to make everyone feel comfortable, though it will take an initial expense.