That was kinda my point. While it seems dehumanizing, the obvious choice to me is use the pronoun "it," not "they."
"They is" is pidgin; "they are" exacerbates the already confusing use of a plural form. I get not labelling someone as to genitalia or sexual preferences/ identity, but "they" just does not work for me. I always react "who else is he/she bringing?"