[QUOTE=Mr Peabody;1055456576]Sorry I'ma gettin to this party late.
From a strictly logical analysis, this is a discussion of english grammar. For some reason the language did not evolve with a clearcut pronoun for beings who have the ability to change gender depending upon the circumstances.
This may be personal bias, but the pronoun "it" conveys the impression of a lack of gender for the object it is describing. Both sides in this thread do think there is a gender associated with the object (or noun), there is just no logically consistent pronoun for the object.
Well said PB. However, consider this.
When seeing a new puppy, or baby a normal question is this.
"Is it a boy or a girl?"
Is this instance the pronoun "it" is not an insult just a substitution when the gender is not known.
Contextually in this thread , the same grammatical dilemma occurs.
Of course to the PC police ,since only they are the arbiters' of words and their meaning, no word can be used which does not pass their scrutiny .
Feelings after all takes precedence over truth.