The UN Schools Us All on How to ‘Create a More Equal World’

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AP featured image
The suffix “ism” is photographed in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, in New York, Monday, Dec. 14, 2015. Merriam-Webster has picked a small but powerful suffix as word of the year: ism. The top isms to earn high traffic spikes and big bumps in lookups on the dictionary company’s website in 2015 over the year before are socialism, fascism, racism, feminism, communism, capitalism and terrorism. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

 

The United Nations is all about unity — hence the name. So they’ve got a message for countries all over this lugubrious globe: This could be a far less sad world if y’all would just stop erring on the side of sex-specific words.

On Monday, the organization tweeted a lesson for all you insensitive inciters of insidious sexism.

Look and learn:

“What you say matters. Help create a more equal world by using gender-neutral language if you’re unsure about someone’s gender or are referring to a group.”

Got that? When in doubt, leave toxic masculinity out.

The UN goes on:

“If you don’t know someone’s gender or when talking about a group, use gender-neutral language.”

If you were wishing for examples, man — I mean, person — are you in luck.

Here we go:

Mankind Humankind
Chairman Chair
Congressman Legislator
Businessman Representative
Policeman Police Officer
Landlord Owner
Boyfriend/Girlfriend Partner
Salesman Salesperson
Manpower Workforce
Maiden Name Family Name
Fireman Firefighter
Husband/Wife Spouse

I have a few questions:

  1. How could “maiden name” be wrong?
  2. Doesn’t landlord apply to both sexes?
  3. If you don’t know of whom you’re speaking — for example, you don’t know if it’s “chairman” or “chairwoman,” meaning the person isn’t in front of you — who cares how you accurately or inaccurately refer to them? They’re not there.
  4. Who calls a businessman a representative? Those are two very different things.
  5. If I didn’t “know someone’s gender or when talking about a group,” would the above mouth-sounds actually create a more equal world?
  6. What is the point of the UN?

That last question might be the best one, and Twitter was sure to have thoughts.

Feast your eyes:

Sarah raged against the machine:

The Red-Headed Libertarian noted a contradiction:

Rorate Caeli made some corrections:

And some responded with visuals:

As you may have noticed, Mark Dice is a blue-checker.

And he wasn’t the only one:

And Ben Shapiro was particularly in a mood:

Oh, well. I’ve decided to put their policies to use. I’m ascribing to the synonyms.

Gotta go — I have to get out of this chairman and help my owner with the new boat they bought from a successful representative — it’s a pontoon with 430 horseforce, and tomorrow’s its family voyage. At noon, we shove off — just like the UN and its goofy guide may want to.

-ALEX

 

See 3 more pieces from me:

Made in Germany: Hamburg Cafe Takes a Hilarious Approach to Social Distancing

Just as You Expected: Police Report a 50% Increase in Robberies Thanks to Everyone Wearing Masks

A South Carolina Restaurant Uses Blow-Up Dolls to Make Sure Customers Keep Their Distance

Find all my RedState work here.

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