Busy Phillips' Best Friend Says It's Not Easy To Use The Pronoun 'They / Them' In Gays

JAKARTA - Dawson's Creek star Busy Philipps decided to call his eldest son Birdie Leigh with the pronoun 'they / them' after he declared himself gay. For some people, changing the pronoun for someone requires adjustment.

Philipps, who is also an abortion rights campaigner, revealed how she raised Leigh (12) and her husband Marc Silverstein in her podcast Busy Philipps Is Doing Her Best on December 31.

"For those of you who are friends of mine who listen at home, this is the first time you've heard that Birdie is gay and out," he said.

"Birdie told us at 10 years of age," continued Phillips.

He then added that the current pronoun for Birdie is 'they / them' not 'he' or 'she'.

Meanwhile, Shantira Jackson, who co-hosts the podcast with Philipps, says changing a pronoun for someone takes time. It can't be done quickly.

"It's like another muscle, another new language, another new thing," Jackson said. "You will get it right, and it will become a habit."

He added that he would try to get used to using the pronoun for Leigh.

"I'm going to try to connect parts of my brain with those pronouns by practicing using someone's pronouns when he's not around, out loud, to help ease the change."