Can the epicene personal pronoun be used regardless of semantic gender of the word?

In other words, for any word with semantic gender (i.e. lion, lioness, boy, girl, man, woman, cow, bull, regardless of self-identity, can the epicene personal pronoun be used to refer to these nouns?

Or should the epicene personal pronoun only be used in exactly two instances - when the gender of a person is unknown/irrelevant OR when a person chooses to identify with that pronoun?

Can the epicene personal pronoun they be used regardless of semantic gender of the word?

In other words, for any word with semantic gender (i.e. lion, lioness, boy, girl, man, woman, cow, bull) regardless of self-identity, can the epicene personal pronoun be used to refer to these nouns?

Or should the epicene personal pronoun they only be used in exactly two instances:

1. when the gender of a person is unknown or irrelevant, or
2. when a person chooses to identify with that pronoun?

Can the epicene personal pronoun be used regardless of semantic gender of the word?

Can the epicene personal pronoun be used regardless of semantic gender of the word?

In other words, for any word with semantic gender (i.e. lion, lioness, boy, girl, man, woman, cow, bull, regardless of self-identity, can the epicene personal pronoun be used to refer to these nouns?

Or should the epicene personal pronoun only be used in exactly two instances - when the gender of a person is unknown/irrelevant OR when a person chooses to identify with that pronoun?

Examples:

My father told me that when they were a little boy, they would help their friends with homework.

The bitch attracted so many dogs in the neighborhood. Now, they are pregnant with puppies.

"Father" is masculine semantically. But the pronoun they is used instead of he. This has nothing to do with the father's gender identity. The speaker just uses they pronoun for an obviously male person who identifies as male.

Bitch is feminine semantically, referring to a female domestic canine. Dogs in that context are male domestic canines. Males cannot get pregnant, so obviously, "they" is used to refer to the bitch.

More Examples:

I am agender. My pronoun is they.

I am male. My pronoun is they.

I am female. My pronoun is they.

Elizabeth is my girlfriend and a great cook. They bake the best cookies.

See that man over there? They sell street food.

Another Example:

And so, they said...

Is your teacher male or female?

Male.

Go on.

And so, they said...

Can the epicene personal pronoun be used regardless of semantic gender of the word?