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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!ihuxe!rainbow
From: rainbow@ihuxe.UUCP (Rob Buchner)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: RE3:gender terms
Message-ID: <1087@ihuxe.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 1-Apr-85 15:26:39 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxe.1087
Posted: Mon Apr  1 15:26:39 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 2-Apr-85 07:23:29 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 36


>The word N*gger has come to be socially unacceptable because Blacks objected
>to it.  You are not allowing women the same privilege, i.e. to make a term
>found offensive into one that is socially unacceptable.

In the first case, there was a vast majority opposed to the usage of the word.
I would not think there were many who found it non objectable.
This is not true in the second case. Freedom of speech allows the latter
to present their case. It does not guarantee they will succeed in
changing whats socially acceptable. Your effort should be spent on other
women convincing them they are being put down when they are referred to as
girls. Then there will come change. But right now there are too many
women who do not mind being grouped together as girls. They do not feel
insulted by being referred to as a girl.

Of course one may argue that anyone who does object has nothing to do with me
and consequently I don't have a worldly outlook on matters.

>The whole point is that it is *not* the person who uses the term that
>determines whether or not it is offensive, but rather the person to 
>whom the term is applied.

Exactly. And I checked it out. I found not one girl/woman I know was
offended by the casual use of the word girl. So don't get on my case
if I find it appropriate to say "Let's go girls." etc. I was more than
surprised when I recently became exposed to some people on the net
objecting to the word. My reaction would be similar if some people
told me they want to make the words mom, football, and hamburgers
taboo.

I suppose all that matters though is how the group you're in reacts
to your chosen words. If no one in the group objects, there can't be
a problem. To define one standard for the entire world is going a little
too far.

And before you ask, no, I do not live in siberia or in some backward country.