The right to abortion is generating new debates around inclusive language

In the weeks following the June 24 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe vs Wade, issues from across the political spectrum involved in a stream of polarized and passionate debate. Recent comments, particularly from people with big platforms and greater visibility, have shown that just as gender is not a binary understanding of personality, opinions on the subject can be more fluid than they seem. What remains constant, however, is the growing number of organizations using gender-neutral language as the default option in conversations about abortion rights and access for all.

Since abortion became associated with the language surrounding the reproductive system, many organizations and journalists covering the news have used more gender-inclusive language to discuss pregnancy and termination, in light of abortion rights and an expanded view of identities and people’s bodies. Understood. According to the United Nations, gender-neutral or gender-inclusive language avoids “prejudice regarding a particular sex, social gender or gender identity and does not perpetuate gender stereotypes”.

In May 2021, NARAL Pro-Choice America published its position on the use of gender language when referring to childbirth. he was saying: “We use gender-neutral language when we talk about pregnancy because only cis women can conceive and give birth. reproductive freedom is Each Body.”

However, some people were less willing to progress linguistically. Prominent voices have faced criticism for speaking out against terms such as “pregnant people” or “patients seeking an abortion”, opposing the decentralization of the word “woman” from the language of reproductive rights.

On Monday, Bette Midler addressed the “women of the world” in a tweet. he was saying: “We are deprived of the rights to our body, our life and even our name! They no longer call us “women”; They call them “births” or “menstruers” and even “people with vaginas”! Don’t let them eliminate you! All the people on earth are your debt!” (The next day, he issued a further clarification, this time to “the people of the world”, noting that he was responding New York Times A column that has been heavily criticized for being transphobic and for using gender language to exclude cisgender women. “There was no intention to be exclusionary or transphobic in any of what I said,” tweeted Midler.)

In one column, Pamela Paul, former editor of Book Review and ex-wife of prominent conservative NYT columnist Brett Stephens, writes: “The noble intention of leaving out the word ‘woman’ is to leave out the relatively small number of transgender people. Men and individuals who identify as non-binary who retain aspects of female biological function and are able to conceive, give birth or breastfeed.

William Lapp, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at American University and Adjunct Professor in the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at Florida Atlantic University, pioneered research in queer historical linguistics and founded the Annual International Conference on Lavender Languages ​​and Linguistics in 1993. Moving forward even more so in the study of queer language research and discourse.

“I think some women remember when women had to fight to bring women to the forefront of the conversation. And it’s a memory that’s very hard to repress… It’s a generational thing, I understand,” Lepp says in response to Ciswomen using modern language. “But the debate and struggle continues, the rhetoric evolves and changes.” call it “gay studies”. You can’t approach these issues in terms of identity politics like we did in the 1980s, when we were interrupting conversations that were just about men and women. Now we have to think more inclusively.”

In an interview with Pier Morgan, his morgan piers uncensored concert on July 4th, singer Macy Gray said:[A woman is] Boobs… just because you keep switching parts doesn’t make you a woman, sorry. I know this is a fact. “

(Other sexes and genders may have breasts, including cisgender men, who have less breast tissue than cisgender women.)

Coming Soon Morgan Docks thanked Gray for her “courage and honesty” and said she was “insulted, insulted, insulted and ‘transphobic'” by the usual nasty and cruel mob attacking women who stand up for women’s rights. Harry Potter Writer JK Rowling, who has been criticized in recent years for her comments on gender issues, also Support him on Twitter To Gray, he said, “Today is a good day to make sure you buy [Macy Gray’s] The entire subsequent catalogue”.

“It’s surprising and disappointing to see this, especially since so many of us are fans of various celebrities. It can be really frustrating for people not to deliver on some of the things that we expected or even planned for them,” says Lindsay Rodriguez, director of communications at NNAF (National Network of Abortion Funds). THR. “I would say it’s been a pretty consistent theme, and it really intensifies when abortion is in the news… [but] The use of the term “people” does not exclude women. And of all the barriers that cisgender women face, it’s very much a barrier for transgender and gender non-binary people.

These barriers become more visible in the area of ​​access to health care, as many trans people (especially those with fewer resources) find it difficult to obtain adequate services in any setting.

“If you’re looking for a doctor, if you don’t have medical care and you need to go to a public clinic, it’s a craps game every time you go,” says Lippi. “The starting point for trans people is not just abortion, it’s any kind of medical service. Availability problem, accessibility problem, quality problem. This whole issue comes to the fore, as does trans visibility.

Rodríguez adds: “The ban on abortion in general is what most affects people who are marginalized by society… There are many studies that show that trans people avoid health situations that don’t make them feel safe and that don’t make them feel inclusive. ”.

Continuing, Rodriguez says, “So from our perspective, especially as someone working to make abortion more accessible to those who will be most affected, it’s very important to us that concerned people in any area seek out abortion services. Know that they can call abortion funds and it is a safe place.”

In the conversation about abortion rights, replacing scrambled words like “breast” (“breastfeeding” and “human milk” instead of “breastfeeding” and “breast milk,” for example) works to make transgender men and non-binary people visible. as individuals. who are able to become pregnant are therefore affected by abortion laws in the same way as cisgender women.

Kelsey Rhodes, acting director of communications for Physicians for Reproductive Health, says THR In an emailed statement: “Our work and the language we use to make that work will continue to evolve over time as we as human beings continue to evolve our own language to reflect our experiences and care. that we need”.

And according to Adrienne Verrilli, director of communication and culture at Planned Parenthood, the power of language is that “it can be used to educate and educate the public, but it can also be used to deceive, misinform and deny belonging. “

In a statement sent by email THR, Veril continues: “Planned Parenthood has long recognized that the fundamental right to sexual and reproductive health and authority over our bodies is not limited to any one gender. We prioritize the use of gender-neutral or gender-inclusive language where we can appropriately reflect the identities of our patients and staff and ensure patients feel welcome and visible in our healthcare facilities. This is evident in many spaces, from national and affiliate marketing campaigns, to patient admission forms, to our work advising film and television directors, producers and writers on screenplays.”

Most of these activist organizations have long practiced gender-inclusive language. For example, in 2017, the Abortion Care Network adopted a values ​​statement that addressed “interrelated forces of oppression,” one of which is language.

“Some of our clinic members provide gender-based care for cis, non-binary and transgender people across the country. “Unfortunately, many of our members experience the negative impact of anti-abortion and anti-transgender political and legislative interference, which affects their relationships with patients and their communities,” said Erin Grant, deputy director of the Abortion Care Network. “When we bring all the people together, our movements, conversations and impact expand. When we have more voices and experiences that can speak authentically about abortion and reproductive health as a human right, we can work together as communities that deserve a future. And we can provide more nuance about who has access to abortion, pregnancy care, fertility treatment and our general need to access essential health services and why.”

ARC-Southeast, a reproductive justice organization, uses affirmative and gender-neutral language when discussing abortion not only because “it is inclusive and reflects our commitment to intersectionality, but also because it is necessary,” says Jalesa Jackson, director interim executive. “We understand that attacks on access to abortion, including but not limited to the recent Supreme Court decision to overturn roe, underlies the patriarchal state’s desire to limit bodily autonomy, one of many ways to maintain control over individuals and communities. Language is a powerful tool to reflect this reality and help us determine who is affected by it.”

While for many people the existence of gender-neutral language is a relatively new phenomenon, for members of the queer community this search for an inclusive language spans centuries.

According with the doctor. Lepp, whose 1995 book Beyond the Lavender Vocabulary With articles on the use of trans languages, “there is evidence of distinctive language practices associated with trans people dating back to the 19th century”. “A case study from the 1850s or 1860s shows evidence that a person says, ‘I don’t know if I’m male or female,’ and that person uses language that way,” says Lippi. “Someone here says: ‘I have to learn the language and I’m going to do it’. It is absolutely critical that in discussions of abortion or any health care, trans subjects are clearly identified as participants in the conversation.”