ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – The University of New Mexico’s student paper has started using new pronouns for people who don’t identify as a man or a woman.

“I thought that was ridiculous,” said Samantha Peters.

“I think the names are kind of funny,” said Paul Talley.

“I feel it’s weird,” said Michael Peters.

The names “zi” and “zir” have people on UNM’s campus talking.

Thursday, the university’s newspaper, The Daily Lobo, explained in an editorial it will now be using the two words as pronouns when writing about people who don’t identify as a male or a female.

“The only non gender pronoun option we have is “it” and it has a lot of really negative connotations,” said The Daily Lobo Editor-In-Chief Jyllian Roach. “When you call someone an “it” you are basically making them an object. You are saying they’re not even good enough to be a person.”

Why “zi” and “zir?”

Roach said someone the paper recently interviewed didn’t identify as a man or a woman meaning the newspaper couldn’t call the person a “he” or “she.”

“They had specifically requested we use “they” and “them” and in print that’s really hard to do,” said Roach.

After hours of research and talking with the LGBT community the staff chose “zi” and “zir.”

The “zi” stands for “he” or “she” and “zir” stands for “his” or “her.”

“We needed to make that an option as gender and sexuality changes we need to have that available to people,” said Roach.

“I think it’s good that the university is taking steps to kind of make it official that people can be something in between,” said Talley.

However, not everyone is OK with it. Samantha Peters said it could be offensive.

“I’m gay and so that to me is saying OK is she a he? Should we call her a “zi”?” said Peters.

The Daily Lobo said it is still open to other suggestions.

News 13 did some research and “zi” and “zir” are popular pronouns in the LGBT community.