TO THE EDITOR:
Too many people have failed to take seriously the problem of gendered language. The English language (to name one) is strikingly biased to favor women. No society can claim to be a society of equality without at least exercising equality in language, so I’m advocating the lingual equality of men.
The most noticeable gender imbalance in English is its treatment of the titles male and female. It’s clear that females are given the base word (female) from which the masculine word (male) is derived. If this seems like a fluke, think about the words man and woman. Again, priority is granted to the female gender; men are robbed of two distinguishing letters.
Some people may not even notice the nastier forms of the problem. The word “man” is used too freely in inappropriate circumstances. Just to name a few, think of mandate, manicure, manufacture, maneuver; even maniac. Those three letters are all that men have to cling to in English, and they’re swallowed whole by the rest of the language with no regards for the consequences. Is it presumed that men alone are the manicurists? The maneuverers? The maniacs? It just wouldn’t be fair.
Sometimes these issues seem like a joke. They’re not. I’ve seen too many men suffer identity crises brought on by sexist language. Gender neutrality in language is paramount to a society of equality. Man, I’m getting all worked up.
Gregory MacCabe
Sophomore
Physics and Mathematics
