> Isn't the norm to use "they" if one wants to avoid using specific gender? Technically, the "norm" in IE languages that haven't dropped M/F distinctions (thos

> Isn't the norm to use "they" if one wants to avoid using specific gender? Technically, the "norm" in IE languages that haven't dropped M/F distinctions (those that did include, e.g., some Scandinavian languages or dialects) is masculine in indefinite and interrogative contexts (feminine implies markedness), but since English doesn't really have a norm, it's more of a do-as-you-please situation.