To point out that the word "mansplaining" is sexist?

[gordonsbennnet]

Just that really. It may be funny here on Mumsnet, but if you use the term in a professional environment you should expect to be called out for it. Anyone offended by it would be justified in raising it with their HR department.

Yes and thats why that is the correct word whether male or female. Same as paternalistic.

and another 1 where @gordonsbennnet the OP never returns 🙈

Strange how the meaning has changed.

Even the woman that coined the phrase stated that even women can mansplain.

Although it would be much better if we could all just use the original term "patronising"

A single word that is applicable to male and female behaviour would be correct if we lived in a society where men and women were represented, perceived and treated exactly the same.

Since sadly this is not the case, we also need words for behaviour which due to the cultural context arises in one sex only. "Mansplaining" is one of those words.

The existence of the word mansplaining doesn't, of course, preclude you using "patronising" for the same behaviour if you want to, but depending on the specific instance of patronising behaviour, it may be less accurate. Not wrong per se, but lacking nuance.

To say it simply, all mansplaining is patronising, but not all patronising is mansplaining.

This is in response to a thread I created where a male consultant told me he wouldn't give me a mammogram that my GP referred me for because he was 100% certain the pain was caused by my underwired bra.

And the lump the GP felt didn't exist either.

I am 49 and 10 months away from my first screening.

Consultant spent under 5 minutes with me and sent me on my way.

I didn't wear an underwire bra all summer and I still had the same 'feeling'.

Not saying he's wrong but withholding something which would put my mind at rest or catch Cancer earlier is surely not too much to ask for?

Loads of the posts on that thread pointed out that the consultant was male and therefore should be treated like God.

He mansplained about underwired bras to me. My Grandmother owned two lingerie shops for 30 years and my Mother and Auntie were very experience bra fitters.

I didn't get the chance to mansplain back to him that I knew more about how bras should fit and how they feel when they don't.

And those who worry about the prejudice against men on MN - please be reassured at least 70% of the women who responded told me off for feeling patronised by a male consultant and wrote posts which were designed to undermine my experience.

The sisterhood is dead.

1/10. Must try harder.

You can't "point out" something that isn't the case. You can have an opinion on it, but in this case you would be wrong.

HTH

"Called out for it".

Such an unprofessional term.

'Explaining'