Oxford English Dictionary officially recognizes 'Mx' gender-neutral title

"Mx" is now an official part of the English language to identify people who are neither "Mr."  or "Ms." or "Mrs.", The Guardian reported on Monday shortly after the Oxford English Dictionary recognized the term.

 

The new title has been entered into the online incarnation of the OED, www.oxfordictionaries.com.

 

"A title used before a person’s surname or full name by those who wish to avoid specifying their gender or by those who prefer not to identify themselves as male or female," the dictionary said of Mx.

 

Writing for The Guardian, Jacob Tobia said: "It is difficult to overstate just how important this change is. The addition of Mx to the dictionary represents the beginning of an unprecedented shift in how Western language, thought and culture understands gender."

 

Tobia also said the new entry to the OED means the dictionary "has embraced a future in which gender does not have to be limited to two options: a world where people can determine their gender on their own terms."

 

Tobia recalled that in his junior year in college one of his professors made him aware of Justin Vivian Bond, an artist who used "Mx" as a gender-neutral term.

 

"Through the addition of Mx, the OED has made a historic step towards ensuring that genderqueer, gender non-conforming and gender non-binary people like me can lead lives of dignity and respect," Tobia said, reflecting on the impact of Mx.  — Earl Victor Rosero, GMA News