The concept of gender neutral pronouns has been on Rocky Top a lot longer than most people realize.

Beginning in the spring quarter of 1973, The Daily Beacon began using the words “tey,” “tem” and “ter” when referring to a person whose sex was not known. The usage of these gender neutral pronouns began on a year-long trial basis until they were eventually discontinued.

The inspiration for the change came from a Ms. Magazine article, composed by the feminist writers Kate Swift and Casey Miller. Before her death in 2011, Kate Swift co-authored two books, “Words and Women” and “The Handbook of Nonsexist Writing,” calling attention to the inherent sexism she perceived in the English language.

Unlike the gender neutral pronouns suggested by the Office for Diversity and Inclusion this past August, which aimed to introduce language more suitable for those not identifying with a specific gender, the 1973 Beacon initiative seemed to have been rooted in a second-wave feminist ideology critical of sexism in the English language.

Then Daily Beacon editor Wendell Potter explained in the 42-year old piece that by implementing these gender neutral pronouns, the Beacon would help reverse that tendency.

“We’re doing this because we’ve come to realize that there is a need for a singular pronoun that is truly generic- one that doesn’t imply that a masculine gender alone represents all persons,” Potter said. “The idea isn’t new — it was suggested in the 19th century, for example, but no one has ever implemented any changes.”

A September 1973 issue of The Daily Beacon offered an example for the usage of the pronouns: “Tey will take English 110, but does not know ter section number which has not yet been assigned to tem yet.”

The University of Tennessee gained national attention this year when the Office for Diversity and Inclusion issued a newsletter with a list of suggested gender neutral pronouns for individuals who may prefer not to be referred to as “he” or “she.” The newsletter was mistakenly reported as a mandatory policy by some sources, but was in fact meant as a suggestion to facilitate a more inclusive campus.

UT President Joe DiPietro and Chancellor Jimmy Cheek made the decision to remove the post from the Office for Diversity and Inclusion’s website last week, with Cheek citing a need to “move forward” after the newsletter was mistaken for a mandatory policy.