[geraldwhen]

German, like many other European languages, uses gendered nouns and refers to nouns with gendered pronouns.

It means nothing other than that you need to remember the correct pronoun for every noun, which is absurd.

[ethbr1]

I didn't even consider that parent might come from a gendered language background! Lack of insight on my part.

I just assumed they were gendering inanimate objects, which even non-gendered English speakers will do, but conveys more anthropomorphic intent.