Reply #30: Oppression is not a choice [View All]

[WitchWay]

You say that the word bitch has a "unique utility." Sadly, the unique utility of that word bitch is the oppression of women.

I encourage and hope people would make decisions about their language usage to try to make positive changes in their own use of language. The language we use and the way we use it determines our own mindsets, and promotes the sort of culture/society we live in.

Being responsible and active for our own use of language is far from "a different form of oppresion". To claim it is so, is simply an attempt to belittle others' experience of oppression and oppresive language.

The experience of oppresive/sexist language is not a "choice" or a "perception." It is very real and has real consequences. It impacts women and men in very real ways.

Again, I ask for a more creative use of language in order to avoid the use of sexist and oppresive language.