What some deride as “PC police gone wild” or “death by wokeness” is the evolution of language to more accurately describe reality. Remember when we only said “chairman” but how we say “chairperson” cuz not only men are leaders? This evolution is called “inclusive language.” 1/5
Inclusive language that evolved in our effort to more accurately describe the reality of our world tends to be gender neutral. For example, we now say chairperson (not chairman), sales associate (not salesman), flight attendant (not stewardess), server (not waitress). 2/5
Inclusive language that evolved to more accurately describe reality continues to evolve recognizing the word “person” can represent gendered people and those who identify outside the man-woman gender binary. Eg, “folks” includes men/women but “folx” is that plus non-binary. 3/5
The evolution of how we’re now languaging to be more accurate to reality also includes examples like this CNN headline using the phrase “individuals with a cervix” instead of “women.” Why? Because trans men and non-binary people can also have a cervix, and they’re not women. 4/5
We see language and languaging practices continue to evolve to be more accurate, precise, and more representative of reality. Evolving to include more of our world, hence the term “inclusive language.” It’s not to deny or reduce reality, but to linguistically catch up to it. 5/5
A note to add that this thread does not welcome nor will I entertain any comment or effort to “debate” or “argue” the existence or legitimacy of transgender or non-binary identities. I will block you, nobody will respond to you, and you can go be transphobic on your own timeline.
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Thrilled to see you living and thriving! Also happy we're having more (and more open) discussions on how notions of "professionalism," "professional appearance," "professional dialects/accents" etc. hinge on respectability politics that are inherently sexist, racist, anti-LGBTQ.
I recently discussed with a friend how masculine of center lesbians we know in corporate and "white collar" professions dress more feminine at work than they do in their life outside to conform to what's considered "professional attire" for women (skirts, blouses, pumps, etc.)
A few do the "wingtips and bow tie" look at work challenging "professional appearance" norms hostile to their desired gender expression. This sometimes costs them in regard, positions of client contact, promotion, etc. in addition to the more open homophobia they also face.
Folks say they're denied "honest debate" when I refuse to join transphobic discussions on if and how trans men and women are real men and women. Some say they just wanna learn. Ok, learn this:
1 Gender is not biological sex.
2 There are more than 2 sexes.
Why is it important to know gender≠sex and there are more sexes than XX, XY before discussing transgender identities? Cuz folks "debate" ignorant of basic facts. First, they equate gender identity with biological sex, even then, based on elementary school knowledge of biology.
If you wanna learn about transgender identities, first learn about GENDER and what it means to have a gender identity. Then, think about variations within. Nobody owes you this education, nor is anyone obliged to listen to you say violent, hateful things trying to figure it out.
One of my dearest friends, travel writer (and zaddiest zaddy) Chaney Kwak, was sent to do a magazine puff piece on a cruise ship that nearly sank with 1400 passengers. He wrote a spectacular page turner about his life-changing experience on that boat, and you NEED to read it!
And if you’d like me to introduce you to the gay, gorgeous, and newly single(!!!) author, show me proof of good moral character, plus receipt for at least four copies, and we’ll talk.
Since my darling Chaney is shy and got his Twitter on lock, here’s a screenshot to let y’all know he’s all about the business.
Twitter isn’t any ordinary problem for crusty old men running Nigeria. It’s a catalyst for alarmingly fast social change that threatens their overall dominance. “Twitter feminist” is a slur, but also a real demographic of influential women changing discourse, attitudes, values.
Twitter feminists and influencers build huge followings, grow businesses supported by Twitter engagement, have more followers than politicians, actively serve as models of life, independence, values, attitudes directly challenging the idea crusty old men should dominate Nigeria.
Not only do Twitter feminists challenge Nigeria, they showed actual political power as brilliant organizers of #EndSARS movement that humiliated NG govt in front of the world and demonstrated what leadership could be without crusty old men’s brutality, thievery, and incompetence.
Africans do awful things we call “culture” and “tradition.” Your loved one dies, and instead of bringing you cooked food, money, labor, people bring their greedy ass to sit down expecting you—in grief and devastation—to cook and serve them food and alcohol. And refuse to leave!
Never have I seen oyibo come to your house when somebody dies without bringing cooked food. You may not want that casserole, but they’ll never expect you to feed and entertain them when your world fell apart. Some will even leave the food and not enter to disturb your mourning.
Oyibo will organize food DELIVERY, not food eating and wine drinking. They make schedules for who cooks which day so all don’t come one time, who comes to clean, who sleeps in your house to look after you. Everything is focused around comfort of the bereaved, not the “guests.”
You hear US politicians disgracing themselves on TV shouting critical race theory (CRT) is a pox on all our houses, they're gonna ban it, slap it, flip it, rub it down, but have absolutely no clue what it is? Are you wondering what even is this CRT? Well, come learn. 🧵🧵 1/13
CRT is a framework (ideas and understandings about reality and how things operate) that originated in legal studies through the work of Derrick Bell, along with Kimberlé Crenshaw, Richard Delgado, Mari Matsuda, others. It's a way to examine and understand how US law works. 2/13
Now you're thinking, people wanna ban somebody's type of legal analysis? Well, yes. But they don't even know what CRT is. They're racists and white supremacists who don't want public discussion and legal consideration of systemic racism and white people's unfair advantages. 3/13