I would never have consented to writing the story using a gendered pronoun for Sasha, but when that approach was rejected, writing without using pronouns at all seemed like a good solution. It was challenging to write that way without it being awkward, but it also felt a bit like writing formal poetry — the constraints can end up making you more creative. In the end, even though it wasn’t my first choice, it felt like the right one.

The New York Times tackles the issue of pronouns and transgender issues.