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A transgender colleague requires being referred to as "they" and not "he /she" In what number do I use verbs with this pronoun when it refers to a single person: they is/ are(?) a transgender ?

Anther example: When a person is elected the chair of the committee, they give(s?) an inaugural speech. I know I could say "he or she" gives, but this sounds to me too formal or too long. With a transgender, this option does not work; So, back to the transgender example: Do(es ?) they require being referred to as "they" ?

Alexander Gelbukh
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    By the way, don't use "a transgender" (a noun). Use it as an adjective: "a transgender person". – Laurel Jun 02 '23 at 20:58
  • This question is NOT duplicate: The other question referred to as"duplicate" is about REASONS for the usage, and the answers review the history of the matter; But from those answers I could not infer. WHAT the correct usage is. This question is purely practical, not about reasons or history: HOW do I use it not to offend those gender-* persons. I ask because a colleague of mine has had a real legal problem with that transgender person . So I want to be very politically correct with them. Please help us/them! Especially as the LGBT+ agenda is so actively promoted here ( Recall Monica ). – Alexander Gelbukh Jun 02 '23 at 21:02
  • @Laurel: That strikes me as unnecessarily prescriptive, if not downright school-marmish, if you don't mind my saying so. – Robusto Jun 02 '23 at 21:13
  • @AlexanderGelbukh Take a look at the other questions I added which give a simpler description. – Laurel Jun 03 '23 at 03:14
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    @Robusto Not really, at least not when the question is asking how to not be offensive and that's what I'm saying. Times are a-shiftin', I suppose. – Laurel Jun 03 '23 at 03:36
  • It's worth noting that the same thing happened with "you." Originally it was always plural. Then, even when it came to be used for the singular, it kept using plural verb forms. – alphabet Jun 03 '23 at 15:10
  • @Robusto Actually the question is purely practical: a colleague of mine was accused of homophobia when he addressed a transgender person incorrectly. So at least to promote tolerance: and gender-neutral style: to make both transgender persons and feminists happy , as well as to avoid legal problems with them, we all should know the correct usage in such cases. What is more, Stackexchange's code of conduct requires us to use the user's "preferred pronouns", so we have ti know how to use them correctly. – Alexander Gelbukh Jun 06 '23 at 05:01
  • @AlexanderGelbukh SE's policies are not the issue here. Your experiences are anecdotal. I don't see practicality being at issue here. The issue my comment addressed was whether an adjective can function as a noun in English. Which it can and does. – Robusto Jun 06 '23 at 16:06

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