gender, sex, sexuality confusion

[Miriam Meyerhoff]

The latest broadcast of the BBC's Weekend Women's Hour has a generic
reference to women that was new to me. Asked whether they were in support of
a quota for women in (the Northern Ireland) Parliament, one interviewee
replied that that would not be acceptable to her because "they wouldn't be
getting it on merit, they would be getting it on their sexuality". 

You can hear the quote in its full context on the BBC website --
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/  (follow links: Listen Now: Latest
programme (on far right) and check you have the Weekend Women's Hour). The
relevant part of the interview starts at 3:41.

chrz, Miriam

Miriam Meyerhoff
Professor of Sociolinguistics
Linguistics & English Language
University of Edinburgh
14 Buccleuch Place
Edinburgh EH8 9LN
SCOTLAND

ph.: +44 131 650-3961/3628 (main office) or 651-1836 (direct line)
fax: +44 131 650-6883

http://www.ling.ed.ac.uk/~mhoff