That'll be fun. I have several people on my LJlist who never let other people know their gender what so ever, which is always kind of interesting. I'm, of course, mildly curious to find out which they are, but it doesn't make too much difference to me.
oh, that is interesting. I don't care if people know my sex, I just don't want to have it referred to every time someone talks about me (not that I think lots of people do, heh).
no, I don't care if you find it amusing. This is really just for me, to influence the way I see the world. It's the 'become the change you wish to see in the world' sort of thing.
I am 10 years running in denouncing the suffix "ess". There is no "stewardess", there are only "stewards", for example (ignore the fact that they're all called "flight attendants", now
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I see what you're saying, but to re-define such a basic concept would be far more difficult (and thus far less likely) than simply removing/combining pronouns. It would be more effective, sure, but it would only work if we had already eliminated sexism, because the very base of sexism is the concept that men are the real humans and women are the cheap knock-offs. If I use 'man' to refer to humans, people do not include women in that. If I use a new term they do not know, they are forced to use 'my' definition.
Some of that type of change is occurring slowly, though. For example, "actor" is commonly used for both men and women now. We've lost other such words earlier such as "Doctoress" and the like. I make a point of using only "waiter" which seems to be the most common such word around these days. (You notice how there's a class issue tied into the order of which words have dropped the 'ess'?)
I also do my best to refrain from using such gendered terms as 'girly' 'manly' 'feminine' or 'masculine' except as relates to actual body parts.
Curvygirls celebrates the sacredness and glory that is the female body. This isn't to say that the female body is at all superior to a male body--- it means that we're reclaiming the inherent, inextricable beauty of the female body in a society where it is far more often degraded and under appreciated. I can't speak for Bel but my take on it is that there is a difference between confining someone to a certain identity based on gender, and appreciating/exploring the body ...which is one *part* of who someone is. Not to mention an invaluable part. The essence of the female or male body is timeless and eternal and I think it is important to honor what we are given. It's just equally important not to be limited by pre-conceived notions that compartmentalize aspects of ones identity based on stereotypes.
Yes, well. I have no problem saying female in most contexts. I don't use the same pronouns as Bel does, anyway. This is because I have a lot of thinking left to do on the issue and I'm not sure where I stand on it.
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and YES on the class issue.
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Curvygirls celebrates the sacredness and glory that is the female body. This isn't to say that the female body is at all superior to a male body--- it means that we're reclaiming the inherent, inextricable beauty of the female body in a society where it is far more often degraded and under appreciated. I can't speak for Bel but my take on it is that there is a difference between confining someone to a certain identity based on gender, and appreciating/exploring the body ...which is one *part* of who someone is. Not to mention an invaluable part. The essence of the female or male body is timeless and eternal and I think it is important to honor what we are given. It's just equally important not to be limited by pre-conceived notions that compartmentalize aspects of ones identity based on stereotypes.
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