Today, politics is everywhere. That includes writing on the college level.
Case in point: As reported by The College Fix, a professor at Ohio’s Miami University is training attendees not to use negative words.
I’m referring to the terms “female” and “females.”
Once upon a time, women on the left of the social spectrum were able to be seen as the champions for all things female. It is now passé.
Now, it seems, all people can be women, which is to say that “woman” means everything and therefore nothing. Meanwhile, scientific designations related to the (formerly-known-as-the) fairer sex are considered uncouth.
Hence, English Professor James Bromley says to stay away from ’em.
From his Spring ’22 syllabus for Seventeenth-Century English Literature:
Avoid using the words ‘female’ or ‘females’ as nouns when you mean woman or women.
But what if you “mean” “female” or “females”? Evidently, you don’t.
It’s all about knowing your history; the English instructor knows his:
Although it may not have been your intention, these words when used as nouns historically had deprecatory connotations.
But don’t accuse Professor James of ignoring nuance:
“Shakespeare’s female characters” is fine; “females in Shakespeare’s plays” is, at the very least, a more awkward construction.
Have you ever wished for a woman? If so, don’t toxically and masculinely beat yourself up:
Even professional writers can make errors. To avoid them, you need to be able to take your time and draft again.
Perhaps you can find a “female”-fighting accountability partner:
Careful proofreading — even by enlisting the help of trusted others — is an important part of the revision process.
There’s much revision to be done, and America’s opened its Wite-Out:
Chief Medical Officer Calls to Black and Puerto Rican ‘Mothers,’ Department of Health Apologizes for the ‘Gendering’
The Emmys Nominates Its First Biological Male for Best ‘Lead Actress’
‘The Practising Midwife’ Magazine Releases Transgender Issue Featuring Bearded Birthing Parent
Hospitals Are Starting to Ask Men if They’re Pregnant
Experts might suggest that Professor James may still lean too traditional.
Even so, he’s trying to improve the literary landscape. As noted by the Fix, he’s working on a book: Early Modern English Literature: Style, Subjectivity and Male Sexuality
His bio:
[It’s a] “a book-length project about the intersection of queer sexualities, cultural geography, and early modern material culture.
Females are likely to love it.
I mean women.
-ALEX
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