(no subject)

[chasingtides]

Folks:

Do you have thoughts on gender neutral language? Nomenclature? Other gender neutral items I cannot currently remember? Are you opposed? For? Mixed? Share your thoughts!

Comments

[chasingtides.livejournal.com]

In your opinion, how does gender neutral language normalise the male-female dichotomy in the Euro-American language practice/mindset?

[earis.livejournal.com]

As far as I understand, gender neutrality is present in the identity creation process of an individual, group, or other entity. The descriptive language of gender neutrality, however, is part of the performance/embodiement practice, which then become the text which is read and responded to by other individuals/groups/entities/ideologies/etc. This isn't inherently normalising in essence, but in practice I have found that gender neutral language is actually more exclusive than gender explicit language.
In most usages that I have encountered, and with a few rare exceptions I operate within a European-American mindset, many times gender neutral language (the use of 'they', for example, to refer to a single entity), whatever it is intended in creation and performance, is read as male. Even supposedly gender-neutral labels such as professions or places are read with specific genders, and these implicit genders feed into the male-normal/ female-other binary system.
Regarding specific gender neutral pronouns, which is probably what you were asking about, I try and take my cues from the people who are performing as gender neutral. But, at least for me, I run into the problem of inadequate language - what is said is rarely, if ever, what is read.
Again, this is all from my own experience.