unless "they" and "them" used as singular pronouns was a political statement back in 2003 among certain groups of Internet users, me using those pronouns that way has nothing to do with the current trend of doing so.
it's weird to see them in a political context because they don't belong in that slot in my brain. it was just a necessity when you had to mention another user and the sex wasn't obvious.
We search for signs of intelligent life by pointing our telescopes AWAY from Earth.