WHAT DOES GENDER-NEUTRAL EVEN MEAN?
Not too long ago, pants weren’t gender neutral. Neither were
suits. Nor short haircuts. These days, all of these things are considered “gender-neutral.”
You know what’s not considered gender-neutral? Dresses. Skirts. High heels.
Bras. Barrettes. Braids.
My point is, even gender neutrality has a masculine tilt. And that’s not fair to men! Gender neutrality means neutrality in every direction.
I’ll be the first to admit that saying “you guys” will be a hard habit for me to break. When your president brags about grabbing women by the genitals and you read about the newest Harvey Weinstein in the news every single day, the impact of the phrase “you guys” feels minuscule.
Plus, a number of you reached out to me specifically to say that you LOVE the phrase “you guys,” and don’t want to let it go.
But sexism is systemic, and in order to achieve equality and respect for all genders, we have to change the male generic.
The change will be a process; it won’t happen overnight. I’m not perfect, but I
am going to make an effort to get more creative with my language, y’all.
We’re smart humans – I KNOW we can figure this out.
What are your ideas for more inclusive linguistics? Share them below!
Look I can copy and paste too.
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