The Realm of the PC

I am finishing up Amy Einsohn's The Copyeditor's Handbook (I know, it seems like I've been taking a while, but I got distracted by other things). The most recent section I read brought up a question in my mind about the nature of "PC" - you know, that 80s term that came around: it means "politically-correct". More specifically (or more truthfully) it means "gender-racial-sexual-orientation-correct".

The discussion is centered around the gender-nonspecific use of the slash-paired 'his/her' in lieu of the word 'their' in sentences that are ambiguous about the gender of the subject.

Ex. "Everyone took their seat." vs "Everyone took his or her seat."

As an editor, the jarring nature of the second sentence irks me, and I will change it to the former. Why? Because it sounds better, and its just as grammatically correct. What also bothers me about it is the feeling of many authors to PC-ize their work in order to satisfy some unseen naysayer who's going to chastise them for being some sort of biased just by their use of 'their' instead of 'his/her'.

There is a distinction to be made here, though: business writing and fiction operate very differently. When you're writing in a business or trade setting, keep in mind that there are some standards and the 'their' usage might be frowned upon, but feel free to stand your ground and back yourself up with proof from the DEU that 'their' is a legitimate neutral pronoun. On the other hand, if you're writing fiction, don't write yourself into a PC nightmare just because you don't want your book to be banned for using the "N-word" when it might be justifiably pertinent to your story.

There is a place for PC; and there is a place for it to be thrown aside. Use your judgment, but always consider consulting someone (possibly an editor) when you have a question.