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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!oddjob!cs1
From: cs1@oddjob.UUCP (Cheryl Stewart)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Now is the time for all good men...
Message-ID: <738@oddjob.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 19-May-85 15:52:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: oddjob.738
Posted: Sun May 19 15:52:57 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 20-May-85 00:11:05 EDT
Reply-To: cs1@oddjob.UUCP (Cheryl Stewart)
Organization: U. Chicago, Astronomy & Astrophysics
Lines: 47


Why not just let the word "man" refer to both male and female participants
in mankind? In job-related contexts, it could be viewed as a contraction of 
the word "manager", as in the oil industry--a "landman" is a land manager,
and quite a few (feitsty Texan) women are proud to say, "yes, I am a landman"
and relish the discomfort they cause among those "men" whose only claim to
manhood is their biological apparatus.  And why not just use "he", "him",
and "his"  to refer to EVERYBODY?  Face it--"person" is a wimpy word.  No
man (male or female) wants to be merely a PERSON or a THEY or a HE/SHE.
Yuk-ola.  And personally, I resent the nature of my private plumbing being
bandied about in mere pronouns and job descriptions.  I'd like to 
be able to say of my Secretary, "He's the best man for the job" whether
he's biologically male or female.  All men should have a right 
to wear whatever they look best in, and feel most comfortable in.  Social
femininity or masculinity should be a matter of choice, not biology. 
(And oh, what a choice!  Do you know what a perverse thrill it is to start
wearing makeup after twenty-five years of being a tomboy?  I feel more
like Ziggy Stardust or Ronnie Reagan or Dr. Frankenfurter in front of the
mirror than Helen Gurley Brown.  I mean, face it, this femininity thing
is weird, but it's fun.  I think all men should try it. It's a shame that
only biologically female men have the choice to act like girls and get away
with it!)  

What are the advantages?

1.  People filling traditionally feminine roles would be 
    called "men".  A nurse does a job which places him in 
    life-or-death situations.  Therefore, he should do his
    duty like a man.  A parent does a job which molds the
    very minds and souls of men at their inception.  Like-
    wise he should do his duty like a man, not shrinking 
    from the grave responsibility before him, treating the
    young life with the appropriate sensitivity and good
    judgement.  Does this phraseology change your perception
    of traditionally feminine roles?  

2.  People filling traditionally masculine roles would be
    called "men".  It's a man's world (so? we're all good
    men here, aren't we? I know I'm at least as good a man
    as you!  You want to prove me wrong?  You want to fight?
    You don't like the way I do my nails? Well, I don't like
    the way you do yours! So there!)  Does this change your
    perception of traditionally masculine roles?

                                 Are we not men?

                                 Cheryl Stewart