A Sexist Language? Gender Differences in Attitudes and Use of Gender-Inclusive Pronouns

The use of gender-inclusive pronouns aims to make language more inclusive and to reduce biases and prejudices based on gender. Previous research shows that men tend to resist gender-inclusive pronouns more strongly than other individuals. The aim of the current study is to contribute to the understanding of this stronger resistance among men. We hypothesize that men are more negative toward gender-inclusive pronouns and use them less and that this is associated with higher levels of sexism among men. To test this, we analyze cross-sectional survey data from Sweden, which in 2015 was the first country to officially implement a gender-inclusive pronoun—hen. The study is based on three large-scale representative surveys collected in 2015, 2018, and 2021 (total N = 4,987), analyzing Swedish native speakers’ attitudes toward hen and use of hen. The results show that across all time points, men were more likely to hold negative attitudes toward hen and used hen less; men were also higher in sexism, and sexism was associated with stronger resistance toward gender-inclusive pronouns. These findings contribute to the understanding of (men's) persistent resistance toward gender-inclusive pronouns and specifically the role of sexism in such resistance.