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From: preece@uicsl.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: RE: language & gender - (nf)
Message-ID: <2731@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 6-Sep-83 22:45:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.2731
Posted: Tue Sep  6 22:45:09 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 8-Sep-83 05:45:34 EDT
Lines: 33

#R:lzmi:-11100:uicsl:16400014:000:1602
uicsl!preece    Sep  6 10:47:00 1983

I like the word firefighter instead of fireman, it's a nice,
descriptive word. I'm less comfortable with chairperson, especially
since it often is used only for females. I usually just make it chair,
when it's my choice. When I hear the phrase 'the guys at the office'
I don't make any gender assumption -- i've heard 'the guys' or 'you guys'
(as opposed to 'a guy,' which would connote maleness) used gender-free
as long as i can remember. Around here we usually say 'FTE month.' I
don't know whether that's a response to AA requirements, but I'd bet
it is (it stands for 'full time equivalent').

It's a struggle to write gender-free prose. Those generic pronouns do
crop up from time to time. If I really can't get around it gracefully,
I usually use 'he or she' (or vice versa), though I like the idea of
alternating. Usually I just rewrite so it isn't necessary at all. And
I'm not afraid to use 'one,' even if it does sound pompous.

But I would like to urge everyone to just try to find appealing words
as alternatives, instead of making pedestrian substitutions of
person for man or euphemistic alternatices like sanitation engineer.
Let's aim for vigorous, attractive language, the kinds of words that
make people say 'why didn't we always call firemen firefighters?'

I would point out that it is possible to differ on the issue of
words that contain 'man' without being unenlightened or unsupportive.
Sesame Street, while always very careful to portray all kinds of people
in all kinds of roles, still says 'fireman.'

scott preece
uiuc - coordinated science lab
pur-ee!uiucdcs!uicsl!preece