Mx (title)

Mx, usually pronounced /ˈmɪks/ or /ˈmʌks/ (miks or muks, similar to Ms),[1] is an English-language honorific for use alongside Mr, Ms, etc. that does not indicate gender. It is often the only option for nonbinary people, as well as those who do not wish to reveal their gender. It is a gender-neutral title that is now widely accepted by government and many businesses in the United Kingdom,[2] and is gaining popularity and acceptance in the United States.

Etymology

The word was first proposed in the late 1970s.[3][4]

Usage

In 2013 Brighton and Hove City Council in Sussex, England, voted to allow its use on council forms,[5] and in 2014 the Royal Bank of Scotland included the title as an option.[6] In 2015, recognition spread more broadly across UK institutions, including the Royal Mail, government agencies responsible for documents such as passports and driving licences, most major banks, several other companies, and UK charity Battersea Dogs & Cats home.[7]

The title is now accepted by the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs, the National Health Service and many councils, universities and utility retailers in the United Kingdom.

In 2015, it was included in the Oxford English Dictionary.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "On the pronunciation of Mx". Spacious Perspicacious. 27 Nov 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  2. ↑ "The Growing Use of Mx as a Gender-inclusive Title in the UK" (PDF). UKtrans.into. 20 August 2013. Retrieved 22 Nov 2014.
  3. ↑ "Now pick Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms . . . or Mx for no specific gender". The Sunday Times. 3 May 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  4. ↑ Olivia Goldhill (11 May 2015). "What’s it like to be a Mx?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  5. ↑ "Mx (Mixter) title adopted in Brighton for transgender people". BBC News. 10 May 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  6. ↑ Saner, Emine (17 November 2014). "RBS: the bank that likes to say Mx". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  7. ↑ "Mr, Mrs, Miss... and Mx: Transgender people will be able to use new title on official documents". Daily Mail. 4 May 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  8. ↑ Tanya Pai (31 December 2015). "10 words that explain 2015". Vox. Retrieved 1 January 2016.


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