"gender neutral blues"

[niyad]

"Lems Kristin Talkin Gender Neutral Blues lyrics"

I was walkin down the street one day

Reading the signs that passed my way

And after a while I started to see

That none of those words referred to me...

Good will towards men, all men are created equal,

Praise Him!


Well I asked some friends if they agreed

That they felt left out in the things they read

They told me yes, and added some more

And soon we all felt pretty sore

You got your Congressman, spaceman, sideman....

But I never heard a no house husband!


Well some men came by and a fight began to grow:

"You girls are so dumb you just don't know,

These here are called "generic words"

They're meant to include both the bees and the birds."

Well gee fellas, how am I supposed to know?

I certainly don't feel included!


Ok said I, if that's so true,

I'll just use "woman" to cover the two

"It don't make a difference to us," they said

"If you wanna use woman, go right ahead."

I said, thanks, that's really sisterly of you

Glad to see you believe in sportswomanship!


"Now hold your horses," they started to cry.

I think I'll hold my mares, said I.

"You're leavin all of us guys behind."

Why no, we're all part of womankind.

So don't fret friends, take it like a woman

You'll get used to it, just like we all did!




There has been much discussion--and denial-about sexism, here and, good heavens, even in the media.
Today I am going to focus on one aspect of sexism--language.


During the third wave of the women's movement (60's and 70's), we spent a great deal of time and energy working on gender-neutral language, to replace the so-called "generic"--but always male--terms and expressions. "ChairMAN", "congressMAN", mailMAN", . . .man, . . . . man, . . ..man (feel free to fill in the blanks). There was even a commercial years ago that featured milk-giving cows with male voices. There was no term for a woman who did not wish to be identified by her marital status, until Ms.

Gradually, perception and language shifted, and we heard "chairPERSON", "congressPERSON" or "representative", "mail carrier", etc., and s/he. In recent years, however, I have noticed the return of male-oriented language, even in such esteemed places as the NYT. There are more examples every single day. Women are referred to by their marital status again, and women with titles such as "senator" do not have that honorific used. Think how many times you hear "Mrs. Clinton", rather than "Senator Clinton", although she is hardly the only one.

Think about how many words and phrases that describe or refer to women are used as insults-- "you throw like a girl", "that is girly", "sissy". The list goes on and on. Women are referred to as "ho's" and many other unflattering, insulting terms.

Language expresses our thoughts, our cultural imprints, our deepest biases. Pay attention. Open your ears, and your minds, it is all around you. Do NOT tell us to "be quiet", or that we are making it up, or to "get over it". Think about it.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

1. K & R. Nicely written and we all know it when we hear it.

I see it here, hear it in the non virtual world, view it on television and yet, those who speak or write the words deny even the wisp of a possibility that the words they use are laced with the cultural acceptance of misogyny.

I'm grateful the conversation is occurring, though.

Open you ears and your minds, indeed. Your mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, friends, neighbors and coworkers will thank you. :hug:

[NJmaverick]

2. It's all about RACISM, sexism is just a distraction from the real issue

Sorry if you want to be disingenuous and play the sex card, it's just as easy to play the race card.

[lukasahero]

3. And this has *what* to do with the OP?

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you didn't happen to see which forum you wandered into however, it's rather disingenuous to come into the Women's Rights forum and talk about "playing the sex card".

[LostinVA]

4. I think you're lost

Shoo!

[musette_sf]

5. did you forget your "SARCASM" smiley?

or do you simply, really, truly just not get that:

any MAN of any race, creed or ethnicity can read or hear the word MANKIND and feel included?

and that every WOMAN knows deep inside that she is NOT part of MANKIND?

:mad:

and to the original poster of this thread: thank you for your post. the older i get, the more fed up i get with language that EXCLUDES me and all other women from concepts that are supposed to be universal.

[lightningandsnow]

7. Can we stop it with the Opression Olympics '08?

Please?

[ismnotwasm]

6. I heard a good one the other day

"Seattle and San-Fransisco have the highest number of vaginized males in the country" This was from a woman I know, who is fairly enlightened, or so I thought. We've had long talks about sex and gender. I didn't argue, (not at the time) I felt bad for her. What an ugly thing to feel, think or say.

I think gender is, or should be, a sort of continuum in any human being, with aspects of male and female not only psychologically, but biologically as well. Gender based insults cause societal harm in the long run, they reinforce old --and new-- wounds, feed trans and homophobia as well as sexism and misogyny.

But I'm a buff chick, so what do I know.;-)

[Quantess]

8. Okay. This woman has an idea, but I think she's misguided.

I lived in San Francisco for many years, and I can definitely tell you there is a a shortage of heterosexual males. So... d'uh....if you're a heterosexual male in San Francisco, then you will get the cream of the crop, while heterosexual women will just have to fight over slim pickin's. So to say.

I had a hard time finding a decent date, much less a boyfriend in SF. But then I moved to Portland, OR, and I noticed there were so many cute guys who were available. There was a much more balanced ratio of men to women.

Then-- I moved to Tacoma WA, and I felt the desperation of lonely, horny men all around me.

So your friend is not wrong, at least I don't think so, from what you said.

Edit: but maybe I misunderstood what you meant her point was. "vaginized males" is pretty crass and stupid, I would agree.