Victory for transgender people: Mx to join Mr and Mrs in the dictionary
For the first time in decades there is a new title to join the list of Mr, Mrs, Miss and Ms.
“Mx is already used by some banks and the Royal Mail
The gender-neutral “Mx” has been introduced as an honorific for transgender people and anyone else who does not identify themselves as either male or female.
It has been added to official forms and databases over the past two years and is now being considered for inclusion in the next edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Jonathan Dent, assistant editor of the OED, said: “This is an example of how the English language adapts to people’s needs, with people using language in ways that suit them rather than letting language dictate identity to them.”
Government departments, councils, high street banks, some universities, Royal Mail and driving licences all now accept Mx.
Brighton and Hove City Council and Barclays Bank were among the first to introduce the gender-neutral title. But one company said that it was holding back because employees were unsure about how to pronounce it without offending.
