Thread by @FlyBehaviour

There are words you shouldn’t call academic (or any) women. Words you might think are innocuous, but have a long history of being used to dismiss, devalue, or discredit women. You might not be aware that these words should be avoided. A 🧵
#academia
#AcademicTwitter
#WomenInSTEM

1. Is she ‘aggressive’ - yelling, shoving, in your face? If not, the word you probably want to use is ‘assertive’.

2. Is she ‘hysterical’ - displaying extreme emotion due to having a uterus? If not, the word you probably want to use is ‘upset’. Unless you’re using it to mean she’s incredibly funny, in which case you’re good.

3. Is she ‘difficult’ - impossible to please or satisfy? If not, the word you probably want to use is ‘challenging’ or ‘particular’ or ‘sets a high bar’.

4. Is she ‘demanding’ - insisting on something in a way that is excessive or unreasonable? If not, the words you might want are ‘expressing needs’ or ‘has expectations’.

5. Is she ‘shrill’ … there’s no reason to use this word, or any words, to comment on a woman’s voice. Just don’t.

6. Is she ‘uptight’ - anxious or angry in a tense and overly controlled way? …actually, if she is you might want to ask yourself why your interactions are causing this response? And consider using ‘intense’ or ‘focused’.

7. Is she ‘emotional’ or ‘too sensitive’ - displaying unprofessional excessive feeling? Or is she just not repressing all feeling, or responding to something offensive, and the word you want is ‘human’.

8. Is she ‘bossy’ - using her position to push people around well beyond the expected scope? If not, the word you might want to use is ‘leader’.

If ever you catch yourself in the rare position where one of these words might genuinely apply, but a less historically loaded word will do, always choose the latter. Language’s history, and its impact, matters.
/end

Oh, and please drop any words to avoid that I’ve missed in the comments!