How to avoid sexist language? [closed]

Solution 1:

Some common things to watch out for:

• Avoid using gender-specific nouns when neutral ones are available. For example, use human instead of man/woman.

• In the absence of neutral words, include both sexes. For instance, you should say alumni and alumnae instead of simply alumni to refer to both men and women who have graduated from a certain institution.

• Use both masculine and feminine pronouns when the gender is unspecified. Thus, use he/she instead of simply he.

• Avoid using feminine derivatives where the masculine term has become acceptable for both sexes. Common examples are headmaster and director. You should not use headmistress or directress/directrice, especially not in the US of A!

• Abstain from potentially derogatory feminine descriptive words such as chic[k], vixen, shrew, crone, and the rest of them.

• Pay attention to the contexts of your writings or conversations. Sometimes, it is okay or even expected, to be gender-inclusive. At other times, it may be considered highly offensive to be gender-inclusive!

Sexism is not restricted to the written or spoken word. It certainly applies to behavior, as well. Thus, some more extreme traits of someone who aspires to be completely blameless with respect to avoiding sexism would be linked to the following rules:

• Treat all humans (not men!) as equals.

• Do not treat the ladies any more special than the gentlemen. Thus, do not pull out a chair for a lady, offer to put on/take off her coat, give up your seat for her in a crowded place or hold the door open for her.

• Never offer to assist a female who is clearly struggling to carry a heavy item. (Believe me, I have offered and have been rebuffed on several occasions, much to my consternation and annoyance, but I continue to do so, anyway!)

• Do not try to be overly anti-sexist. That may even make matters worse, depending on the situation.

Disclaimer: I do not follow any of these rules, except the first and the last ones!

Solution 2:

Don't overdo it

• Use a neutral noun if there is one, and it doesn't sound odd
• If there's no neutral noun:
  • use the feminine one if it refers mostly to females
  • use the male one otherwise
• Use proper words, don't make up new ones
• For the love of the poor guy who invented writing thousands of years ago, do not **EVER** use abominations like he/she or (s)he; they look plain stupid to any sane person (fall back to the rules above)
• If you're talking about people killed or something like that, never state "X victims, Y of which were women": men are not more important than women, nor the other way around, we are all humans