Getting Rid of Flippant Language : Check Yourselves Here

[Ascot]

I'm pretty okay with 'dyke', and often use it in reference to myself. I've never had it flung at me as an epithet with the exception of once in traffic and that was 30 years ago, so it holds no barbs for me.


These days I'm also rather fond of 'lesbo'.

[imperfect_cupcake]

I actually quite like "lesbo" and dyke.
Sometimes I say I'm a "lezzo" or what not. There is nothing wrong with being gay, so it's kind of like someone calling me "Canuck" instead of "Canadian." Yeah. And? However using the term "lesbian" "lezzo" "lesbo" to put down a straight women, I don't fucking like. It's not an insult. It's a fact. So I don't like any word that describes my job, career, education, sexuality or gender used as an insult. Lesbo, when applied to me is correct and a fact and since there is nothing wrong with being a lesbo, I'm not offended by it.

Someone calling my straight best friend a lesbo just because she's a tomboy and a feminist is very irritating. She just looks at them and asks them if being a lesbian is supposed to be an insult. Or just goes with it and tells them she gets more pussy than they do/or bet I can fuck your gf better than you do. Which always makes me laugh

Although lesbian dosent quite fit me exactly, the way it's used here, to most people I'm a female and my partners gender doesn't matter because she/they/he have a female body and thus we are lesbians. So I use it awkwardly.

I prefer dyke. It fits better. Queer-dyke fits best in most places I trundle about in now.
But lesbian fit fine in London. Words are funny like that. Local interpretation and all.

But I totally get some people can't use dyke or queer on themselves. We all live very different lives.

[Greyson]

I am over women being referred to as females. Since when did a woman become simply a female? I find the term woman to be strong, independent and intelligent. Female sounds as if a woman is reduced to some sort of commodity without any depth.

[Soon]

Originally Posted by Greyson

I am over women being referred to as females. Since when did a woman become simply a female? I find the term woman to be strong, independent and intelligent. Female sounds as if a woman is reduced to some sort of commodity without any depth.

Huge pet peeve of mine. Here's an article on it but this one point especially makes the point clear:
Because the words "female" and "woman" mean different things.

"Female" is a scientific term that refers to the sex of a species that is capable of producing children. The term "woman" refers specifically to human beings, while "female" could refer to any species.

http://jezebel.com/the-problem-with-...les-1683808274 (comments under article on point as well)

[Nat]

Female doesn't bother me. I don't refer to people generally as male or female, but working with medical data all day I am much more irked when there isn't a third choice than I am by the terms. I don't identify as a woman nearly as much as I identify as a femme. As a bigender person, I feel slightly annoyed checking the box for female, but I would be more annoyed if I had to check a box that said "woman." Like - my femme side balks at having a gender applied to me that I generally don't apply to myself outside of discussions about women's rights.

[Ascot]

Originally Posted by Greyson

I am over women being referred to as females. Since when did a woman become simply a female? I find the term woman to be strong, independent and intelligent. Female sounds as if a woman is reduced to some sort of commodity without any depth.

My brother does that and it irks the hell out of me. He's in law enforcement. That irks the hell out of me, too.

[Nat]

Originally Posted by Ascot

My brother does that and it irks the hell out of me. He's in law enforcement. That irks the hell out of me, too.

It does remind me of cops and the military.

[JDeere]

I don't see anything wrong with the word whore, bitch, women or females. As I don't see them as derogatory as other words. Right now my list of offensive words are minor.

[imperfect_cupcake]

I refer to people as female if I know they are female but I don't know their gender. They could be female and *not* women. How would I know? Many of my ex partners are female and Butch as their gender, not women. Or genderqueer. Or agender. But still female.

Female = biology
Women = gender

Two females (of whom having various different genders, but I'm lazy and not going to list them all, thus the use of "female" to acknowledge biology since I don't know gender specifically) with each other as still regarded as "lesbian" from the general public because the general public sees female = woman because they think gender and sex are the same thing.

There are so far 16 different chomasomal sexes. I am, as far as I know, a female. And since I work in medicine and have a background in biology, to me it sounds an accurate description.

Unless it's used by a bunch of frat boys when I walk in "hey, who fought the female". But then if they used "hey who brought the woman" or "who brought the lesbian" or "who brOught the femme" I would find that equally insulting. Mainly because I am being talked about in the third person to my face and being reduced to my presentation. Rather than a human.

I don't mind it when newspapers do it. "28 year old female" because it's factual and "28 year old male" is used as often. If someone is reporting facts, it doesn't bother me at all.

If someone is reducing me to my chromasomal sex, my gonads, or secondary sex characteristics - or my gender for that matter - when I am present, then I'll get pissed. I hate it when people say "hey ladies!" Or "hey girls!" It makes my skin crawl. Eugh.

So I'm the opposite, I guess!

I don't actually say anything, though as most people are just trying to be friendly and polite. And intent is important.

[femmeandstrong]

Originally Posted by JDeere

I don't see anything wrong with the word whore, bitch, women or females. As I don't see them as derogatory as other words. Right now my list of offensive words are minor.

holy cow, jdeer... lol...hope u feel better soon

[Greyson]

Originally Posted by Nat

It does remind me of cops and the military.

Nat, I spend a lot of time in the company of Air Force military people because of the field work I am doing. I have never heard any of them refer to women as females. The term I hear them use most often when talking to a woman is "Ma'am" when they are officers and by rank and surname or only by their surname when referring to a woman that is not an officer.

As for me, they call me Mr. _____ , Sir, Ma'am or Greyson. I too wish there was another term besides binary terms when talking gender. On base, I am out as a Trans, (gender variant) person.

[JDeere]

Bump, anyone else?

[Kobi]

Originally Posted by Greyson

I am over women being referred to as females. Since when did a woman become simply a female? I find the term woman to be strong, independent and intelligent. Female sounds as if a woman is reduced to some sort of commodity without any depth.

The word female is very special to me. Being female, just like being a lesbian, is something very special and a source of pride. It signifies something very important, very substantive, and very empowering. It is very much a part of who I am.

Calling adult women girls bugs me.

[Angeltoes]

I don't mind being called a girl by someone I like. That's fine with me. But I don't call other women "girls."

Ugh there are so many rules...