[Ads-l] "pregnant people"

[Ann Burlingham]

"Many probably
don't even recognize it as socio-politically charged activism."

Greater accuracy would seem to be an appropriate journalistic concern.

On Thu, Sep 23, 2021 at 1:05 PM Stanton McCandlish <smccandlish at gmail.com>
wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Stanton McCandlish <smccandlish at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      "pregnant people"
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 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=E2=80=99t have to be this
> w=
> ay."
>
>
> https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/09/21/far-too-many-pregnant-pe=
> ople-remain-high-risk-covid-19-it-didnt-have-be-this-way/
> <https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/09/21/far-too-many-pregnant-pe=ople-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
>


-- 
Ann Burlingham
Burlingham Books
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