Brilliant article on the importance of using sexed language in medical settings

No one who made these nonsensical changes actually considered the needs of the women they were taking the words away from.

Did anyone do an impact assessment?

Did Brighton midwifery dept consider the needs of women with English as a second language when they took the words away - because a local trans man said that it was terrible to use established language because of their own, personal gender issue?

No one thought of the marginalised women. As per fucking usual.

The educated, middle class, supported, employed female people who can advocate for themselves and their own selfish desires - they got listened to. And they didn't think of the women who's voices don't get heard because they have none of the privilege that the first group enjoy and take totally for granted.

Fuckers. I'll never forgive them.

Excellent article. Very comprehensive.

I'm struck whilst reading it, how every ideological push (and it is ideological), results in disadvantage to women. And how the 'de-sexing' going on is to sever the relationship between the word woman and female biology.

Every example they give is coupled with a detriment to women or girls. The imbalance is startling, all women are highly disadvantaged by the changed language, for a microscopic minority who might consider it of benefit.

It's even more clear this is being led by men who want to be women not the other way round.

Replacing a word with another of different meaning as if they are synonyms makes communications inaccurate or confusing.

Too right. Cos who is it who wants to confuse the meaning of the word woman?

The clarity in this article comes from the separation of sex from gender, or gender identity. They even explain that in these cases the word woman has two meanings.

They also go into to quite a lot of depth about how to deal with women who identify as men, and what the complications could be.

It all sounds very sensible, rational and clear, doesn't it? Sex and gender must be kept separate.

No one can possibly argue with any of it.

Right?

It’s so nice to see sense being talked about colonialism, rather than the TRA fantasy about nobody believing this two sexes and/or genders rubbish until Western Imperialists turned up to ruin everything. Full-on Noble Savage trope; & no willingness to listen to anyone - crucially, that includes any members of the cultures & societies they’re talking about - telling them That’s. Not. How. It. Worked.

I just looked up the authors.

Some very interesting people on there. Loads at the top of their game, and a lot of Australians - which is totally captured.

Not a single pronoun to be seen, either.

@Helleofabore agree. "
Am I engaging in cultural imperialism or improper use of privilege by requiring others to use language in a particular way?"

The rhetoric behind all of this is Colonial. Women are a resource to be exploited by the ruling classes - and we are to be obedient.

No thank you.

I had an argument on Twitter (I know, I know!!) on this point. It’s a privileged ethnocentric position to ignore the reality of women’s lives globally. There are still many societies (I would include this one) where a woman’s reproductive capacity is the main influencer of her physical, social and economic position.

Great article. I thought this sentence was interesting.

Am I engaging in cultural imperialism or improper use of privilege by requiring others to use language in a particular way?

Great stuff.

I suspect the bit about unclear language causing errors in COVID research data will be what causes any kind of attitude change, as it's men who are most adversely affected by this virus and we all know men's health is most important.

Prof Bewley is one who gives me hope.

Thank you for this article.

Courage!

Absolutely brilliant. It really needed saying and they have done a very good job.