[Ads-l] FW: "pregnant people"

[Jonathan Lighter]

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/menstruators-women-nonbinary-periods-trans-cis-191609748.html
:

"Earlier this month, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez chimed in and was
subsequently criticized for using the term 'menstruating people' during a
CNN interview discussing Texas’s strict anti-abortion law."

On Mon, Sep 27, 2021 at 1:53 PM Charles C Rice <charles.rice at louisiana.edu>
wrote:

> https://twitter.com/verbingnouns/status/1441337006999568391?s=21
>
> I tried to copy the tweet for those who can't access Twitter.
>
> @UniofNewcastle
> this is exclusionary wording that alienates your nonbinary and trans
> staff. I know you've worked really hard to be inclusive, so may I suggest
> that "people" is such an easy word to use here instead. cc
> @rainbowNCL
> @EqualityNCLUni
> newcastle.sharepoint.com/hub/orghas/Doc
>
> The University post is in a jpeg, which I can't post to the list. The
> tweeter has highlighted the phrase in bold:
>
> If you are 28 weeks pregnant and beyond, or if you are pregnant and have
> an underlying condition that puts you at a greater risk of severe illness
> from COVID-19 at any gestation, you should take a more precautionary
> approach. This may require working flexibly from home or working in a
> different capacity. These arrangements should be based on the risk
> assessment which is required for all pregnant females who have informed
> their manager/employer. Where adjustments to the work environment and role
> are not possible and alternative work cannot be found, you should be
> suspended on paid leave.
>
> Clai Rice
>
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<mailto:
> ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>> on behalf of Laurence Horn <
> laurence.horn at YALE.EDU<mailto:laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>>
> Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2021 7:00 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> <
> ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>>
> Subject: Re: "pregnant people"
>
> CAUTION: This email originated from outside of UL Lafayette. Do not click
> links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the
> content is safe.
>
>
> > On Sep 23, 2021, at 1:12 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM
> <mailto:wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>> wrote:
> >
> > I've heard "pregnant people" on cable news (not, I think, from a
> > journalist).
> >
> > Some writers now replace "men" and "women" with "people," whenever
> > possible.
> >
> > JL
>
> Since the {women/people} doesn't really add much, we could solve this
> problem by substantivization:  "The pregnant remain at high risk"; "Far too
> many pregnants remain at high risk...";
>
> The plural version might take a while to catch on...
>
> LH
>
> >
> > On Thu, Sep 23, 2021 at 1:05 PM Stanton McCandlish <
> smccandlish at gmail.com<mailto:smccandlish at gmail.com>>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Trans-related language-change activism seems to be making inroads into
> >> major newsrooms.  From today's *Washington Post*: "Far too many pregnant
> >> people remain at high risk of covid-19. It didn't have to be this way."
> >>
> >>
> >>
> https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/09/21/far-too-many-pregnant-people-remain-high-risk-covid-19-it-didnt-have-be-this-way/
> >>
> >> I think this will continue at left-leaning publishers, because lots of
> >> trans activists are strongly motivated to complain any time they see
> >> "pregnant women", but hardly anyone is motivated enough to write a
> letter,
> >> even an electronic one, if they encounter "pregnant people".  Many
> probably
> >> don't even recognize it as socio-politically charged activism.  They'll
> >> just think it's poor writing, which the news is increasingly full of, as
> >> editorial review decreases the more pressure there is to get material
> out
> >> faster and faster via as many channels as possible. (I think most of us
> by
> >> now are used to the average major-newspaper article having multiple
> typos
> >> in it.)
> >>
> >> For an "interesting" time, check out recurrent internal debates at
> >> Wikipedia as well, about using language like "persons with prostate
> >> glands", "people who menstruate", etc., at medical articles.
> >>
> >> ------------------------------------------------------------
> >> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> truth."
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>


-- 
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

------------------------------------------------------------
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