Why is a marital status a greater privacy concern than gender?

[Boojatta]

The title "Ms" was coined and popularized. It may be written by a student on the outside of a test paper before the name of a teacher. It may appear on an envelope before the name of the person who is to receive a piece of mail. It has many uses.

What would be a generic title for a man or woman? Surely a term could be coined. When will such a term be popular?

I am not suggesting use of the pronoun "it" to refer to a person since there would be an obvious negative connotation. I am simply wondering about a title that is more general than Ms, which indicates either Miss or Mrs, but excludes Mr.

[Captain Hilts]

1. Like members of congress....'Honorable.......' I have them put 'Dr' in front of mine as

they INSIST on an honorarium and it's the ONLY one not gender-based.

[MercutioATC]

2. Because gender can generally be determined by first name and/or visual confirmation.

Marital status cannot.

...and we're all free not to use "Ms.", "Mme", "Mrs.", or "Miss".

[question everything]

5. I sent a letter to a corporation

and chose to address an executive who signed a letter to which I was responding.

The first name was Sandy. Let's say last name was Jones. How would you have addressed it? Hint - I missed it.

[sam sarrha]

3. marriage is a failed institution, divorce rate is over 50%.. gayness wont hurt it, it's already dead

[seabeyond]

7. actually, 41% on first marriage. second marriage is higher, cant remember number

third marriage divorce is like 65%.

[shimmergal]

4. Actually, we're solving that lack

in various ways.

For the outside address on an envelope, by just writing the person's first and last name (no honorific.)

For salutation inside a letter, doing the same seems a little blunt. But I see it more and more:
"Dear Dana McName," "Dear C. R. Person." IMO it's more polite to write "Mr." or "Ms." and then the person's last name, but it seems to be fading. Possibly because there are so many occasions when you don't know the gender of the person you're addressing.

What's really needed is some substitute for that horrible newspaper practice of referring to everyone by last name only. Because: 1. When there's a family involved who share the same last name, it's very confusing. 2. Most of us can't mentally retain 5-6 last names which mean nothing to us before or after reading the article. First names are easier to retain short-term, IMO.
I'll admit that the old-time style, using men's unadorned last name, while using Mrs., Miss or Ms. for women who appear, was sexist. But sometimes it made for clearer writing.

Suggestions?

[iris27]

6. Whenever I'm handwriting an address, I just use "M." for either.

Most people don't notice, or if they do, they take it for a typo, but it's my little effort toward inclusiveness. Don't know what that would sound like when spoken, though!

[Gormy Cuss]

8. "M." is the proper form when unsure of gender, so that works.

:toast: