>though men tend to use the former and women the latter when referring to a theoretical or nongendered person or whatever //
Any evidence to support that assertion? If one isn't comfortable using the neutral pronouns - identical as they are with the masculine pronouns in English - the tendency is to use [singular] "they" or "his or her" IME (anecdotal as that is). I don't find women generally choose to use feminine pronouns more unless they're trying to make a point in doing so.
Example: suppose there is a sentence "Each Cub Scout must build and light a fire in order to gain his backwoodsman badge". People, myself included, will tend towards saying "gain their backwoodsman badge" rather than choosing to say "his backwoodsman badge" or "her backwoodsman badge" according to the speakers sex. Of course some people will also get upset about the gender neutrality of words that end "man".
Any evidence to support that assertion? If one isn't comfortable using the neutral pronouns - identical as they are with the masculine pronouns in English - the tendency is to use [singular] "they" or "his or her" IME (anecdotal as that is). I don't find women generally choose to use feminine pronouns more unless they're trying to make a point in doing so.
Example: suppose there is a sentence "Each Cub Scout must build and light a fire in order to gain his backwoodsman badge". People, myself included, will tend towards saying "gain their backwoodsman badge" rather than choosing to say "his backwoodsman badge" or "her backwoodsman badge" according to the speakers sex. Of course some people will also get upset about the gender neutrality of words that end "man".