Oxford University Students Asked To Use Gender Neutral Pronoun 'Ze'

Students at Oxford University have been encouraged to use gender neutral pronouns such as "ze" rather than "he" or "she" in an attempt not to offend transgender students, The Sunday Times reported.

The policy is outlined in a students' union leaflet, which also promotes the use of "ze" in university lectures and seminars.

LGBT rights campaigner Peter Tatchell told MailOnline that the "issue isn’t about being politically correct or censoring anyone. It's about acknowledging the fact of changing gender identities and respecting people's right to not define themselves as male or female."

However, he acknowledged that its use should not be compulsory.

Last month Oxford also implemented gender-neutral bathrooms on campus, the Inquisitr reported.

Cambridge is also considering a similar move toward gender neutral pronouns throughout the university, the Sunday Times reported.

Other institutes of higher learning have already adopted the practice. The Huffington Post adds that in the United States the gender-neutral alternatives of "ze" and "hir" have been in use at Wesleyan University, for example, for more than a decade.

And at the American University, other acceptable pronounds inclue "E", "Ey" or "Per."

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