Can I be denied receiving a 'Go' for a promotion board if I accidentally use gender pronouns? Should I get the IG involved?

Ok, You said the first question you were asked, you referred to the soldier as "he should". Did the question refer to the soldier as a male or simply as a soldier? If the question was not gender specific, then perhaps you should have answered the question as non-gender specific such as "the soldier should". Maybe that was the actual issue. A soldier is a soldier no matter what their gender. Just something to think about the next time you go to the board. It's the small details that will make or break you.

Short answer, no. IG has no reason to be involved from what you're saying. But, yes, you can be denied for your use of gendered language.

There may have been more to the decision of the board than you or your NCO were privy to. I would continue to push up your chain a request for clarification of why you were denied. You could also ask to speak with your 1SG about this, but get your advice from your first-line and PSG first. Either way, I would recommend a 1-on-1 with your 1SG. Think about this like an E5, not an E4. If you do that, then you should understand why this should result with some mentorship and clarification from your 1SG.

After going through your NCOs, then you can go two additional routes. The Chaplain, and your EOL (Equal Opportunity Leader), otherwise known as your EO rep. The Chaplain will help you understand your religious rights and how they merge with Army regulations and federal law. Then they can support or protect you if there has been any funny business or simple misunderstandings. The EO rep will instruct you on what the regulation says regarding all this new gender stuff and how it's supposed to apply. They can assist you with understanding the protected categories and in challenging this decision if you feel there is discrimination. I was an EO rep at every level, brigade on down. If your rep has any backbone, they can fight for you behind closed doors and ensure everyone is adhering to this new stuff, by the book. Times are hard in the EO world, or let's just stay they are challenging, at best. This stuff is very confusing and counter-intuitive and by default it inches into our religious beliefs.

If you go either of those routes, tell your NCO. There's nothing to hide here.

If it were me, I would be loudly, but tactfully, challenging this decision. However, I am no longer on the enlisted side of the house, so take my advice with a grain of salt. None the less, it is my strong opinion that you should challenge this. Professionalism and EO regulations are to be taken seriously and both are an important gauge of your character at your level. Yet, in my view they are often given too much weight and are easily skewed with bias and political baggage, sometimes with the best of intentions, sometimes not. If you want to be a leader you need to learn how to engage in mature conversation. Not just for your yourself as you seek promotion, but for the Soldiers you will someday serve. Someday, you may be the NCO who's Soldier is denied promotion for some slip of gender usage. How you will instruct them? How will you support them? The Army needs competent, caring, and convicted leaders who not only follow orders, but are aggressive in their leadership efforts and constantly take the initiative.

In other words, if I was your LT, I would tell you that your promotion board isn't over. You walked out the room but you're still being evaluated. How you respond to this denial will show everyone what you're about and what kind of potential you have. Your most important window will be how you act in the next 48 hours, before the week is out, while all of this is still fresh in the board's mind.

Is referring to women and men in the Army as Soldiers against your religion? To the best of my knowledge the equivalent terms have not changed as far as Sailors, Marines, and Officers since I was trained for the Navy in the 90s. Were you actually asked to use "difficult for you" pronouns during the board or just a well accepted term for all people in the Army that demonstrates compliance with policy? I interpreted the theory of the decades old DOD level doctrine as if you consistently say Soldiers maybe that will help you to see just Soldiers. The transgender policy is not that new either, if your religion requires prejudice maybe you should not have enlisted. I retired from the Navy including several Joint commands and operations just before pronouns became a hot topic.I clearly recall before ANY board, especially such a JUNIOR board, the things the board were looking at were generally stressed pretty hard. I'll bet referring to your Soldiers as "Soldiers" has been stressed pretty hard 24/7. I'll bet there are GMT posters in the galley or chow hall and in the head or latrine and the p way and all over the base or camp. "We are all soldiers" or something equally awesome with the word "Soldier'' emphasized. You are now publicly whining about it. I am not sure you could ever overcome this public mistake in a Navy career, especially if your Chief community found out about it. I certainly would not want to be you. According to another comment even though your were reminded during your board you couldn't even follow orders for what 5 to 30 minutes? Now, as a junior enlisted you are still not recognizing your teammates as teammates with the easy button word given to you "Soldier." Somehow your religion requires the use of he and she. Believe or not Women in Services wanted to called Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines . . . even before pronouns became more complicated, probably before you were born. I recommend if you want to stay in the Army, you worry a little bit less about matching your religious beliefs as a gender pronoun-ist up against the rumored identity of the SGM's kid, and a little more about learning to be a better Soldier including listening to directions of your superiors.

I'm so glad I retired when I did. This issue has absolutely NOTHING to do with being a good leader, soldier, warrior, or human. Our military is broken.

Wow! Just ... WOW! As COL Randall C. states, it's more of a "gotcha question!" His advice is absolutely spot-on; follow it.
I'll just add that it's embarrassing what our military has become. Today, I might not last a week if I were still in!

Who tf would think this is even gonna be a thing. Crazy world.

The responsibility of the board is to determine if you are ready to be an NCO. By your own admission you intentionally ignored gender guidance because it went against your beliefs. NCOs follow guidance as long as it is not illegal whether they agree or disagree. There are transgender soldiers and one could be assigned to you or be in your chain. You are unable to follow the Army’s guidance. You are not ready to be an NCO. The board did it job and the SGM’s child is just a red herring to distract from that.

The board response was not about "pronouns" it was because your response of "he" was not even a smidge inclusive of your female battle buddies. Their response is not about trans etc. You should learn to use gender inclusive terms. "They" are everyone around you - not just men. If others before the board used inclusive terminology and answered equally well as you, then "they" nailed it and were deemed worthy of promotion. There are only so many slot - you unfortunately lost it this time. You can try to go all legal - but you better be 100% sure you can win. Anything less will brand your career in a negative way. Being inclusive is part of showing Honor, Courage, Commitment and Respect.

The real fact of the matter actually goes back before transgender situations. When women started filling more roles in the Army they used the terminology to include them. When I got out in 2014 it was expected that in counseling and when referencing soldiers you were to userank and name or the soldier without actually saying he/she because if your not talking about a specific person it could be deemed sexist. You're also expected to not answer questions with "I".

Do you only deal with male soldiers? Even in the 1970's and 1980's there were a number of female soldiers. You should have been corrected to use a nongender reference but seems a small reason to deny promotion if everything else is good.