A war of words is beginning to wipe women out of existence, Janice Turner in the Times

[Igneococcus]

Haven't actually read it yet:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ca340930-5cce-11eb-86f4-4fa0aa4e7fd3?shareToken=12c48ac962c2fb8fc9593cc9f5bbf5f3

Thanks for the share token. Some great rhetoric by Janice.

For trans people, navigating a society which often diminishes and misunderstands them, it is natural to have minted neologisms to describe their experiences, such as trans men who become parents referring to “chest feeding”. But gender-neutral terms should not replace the words women need to describe their own lives and uphold their rights in public discourse.

“People evolve a language in order to describe and thus control their circumstances,” said the American writer James Baldwin, “or in order not to be submerged by a reality that they cannot articulate. And if they cannot articulate it, they are submerged.”

Just leave these here.

It’s brilliant! Thank you Janice.

Thanks for sharing Igneococuss

This “inclusive language” is necessary, we are told, because it includes trans men. No matter that it erases the beloved, even sacred words of 99 per cent of those to whom it applies. Even a compromise, perhaps referring to “women and trans men” rather than the insulting “menstruators” is usually rejected. Because in this context “women” does not include trans women, who do not have periods and are the chief driver of this linguistic erasure.

I'm glad to see that acknowledged. Dehumanising women has never been for the benefit of transmen.

Remarkable piece, just remarkable

Oh that is so good.

Thank you Janice.

Thanks for sharing. Wonderful writing from Janice Turner, as always. I like this point:

Gender-neutral speech doesn’t make biology go away: it just removes the analytical tools to understand and address it.

Thanks for the share, an incredibly powerful and truthful piece.

Stunning writing

a powerful article thank you.

wonderful piece of writing, thank you so much for sharing this.

That is a brilliant read; she completely nailed it.

Wonderful article...thank you Janice!

I'm glad the Times gave her more space than her usual Saturday column for this.

Brava

Absolutely brilliant. Thank you for sharing

Wow it has it all.

Really good article

Fantastic article. So well expressed.

Thank you, Janice.

Fantastic article.

It so clearly makes the case. Thank you, Janice.

Fabulous article. How on earth anyone can read it and disagree is beyond me. No doubt she'll face more endless abuse.

Brilliant

This also explains why men’s charities and health bodies are under no equivalent pressure to refer to “testicle-havers” or “ejaculators”
Men are still men: women are now merely persons.

These were the parts which stood out for me although she absolutely nails it in the rest of the article. How anyone can see this as anything other than misogyny is beyond me.

Bloody hell that's got it all in it. Well done Janice.

thank you Janice

Janice.

Just superb.