Gender, a term that originates from the same source as genre and genesis, is a wholly imagined construct. Protagoras, a pre-Socratic Sophist, is credited by Aristotle to have created the use of grammatical genders seen in romance languages. In the last fifty years, gender as a social construct has been explored in social sciences, drawing distinction from biological sex and even rejecting the notion of feminine and masculine as genders on either end of a spectrum.
Many cultures all over the world acknowledge Third Genders, like India’s hijras or the Native American muxe. Although awareness of non-binary, gender neutral, and non-gendered identities grow in western countries, those outside traditional male/female gender roles are continually faced with 
discrimination, intolerance, and hatred.
As an inclusive community, the Longest Night Midwinter Masque honors Preferred Gender Pronouns (or PGP’s). With Pride Month in full swing, supporting gender pronoun conduct is a powerfully effective way to be an ally.
These pronouns continue to develop and information on them is slowly gaining traction, so we understand if these concepts are new to you. The following resources are a great way to learn more:
https://uwm.edu/lgbtrc/support/gender-pronouns/
https://lgbtqia.ucdavis.edu/educated/pronouns.html
The Gender Reveal Podcast http://gender.libsyn.com/
Happy Pride Month to all and Love as thou Wilt!