Oxfam's Inclusive Language Guide

Nomenclature

@JoeKerr

You're right to point out the ridiculousness of this. Policing speech is a slippery slope.

Luigi7255

Even though avoiding "mother" and "father" is completely unreasonable, they, at least, have an unsounded argument against their uses. My question is who would want to avoid the word "elderly"?!

MayCaesar

I think that inclisivity of language does matter when one wants to make precise statements, but it does not have to be explicit: languages are not rigid mathematical structure, and the words do not have to be always used with their literal meaning in mind. Take the following statement:

"For a man to be happy, he has to follow his calling".

It should be clear to everyone that this statement applies not only to men, but to women as well. Getting upset over the words "man" and "his" used here indicates one's inability to think about sentences as embeddings in a larger structure as opposed to isolated pieces of raw information. There are languages in which you would not use the word "man" here - in Russian, for instance, the most natural word to use would be "human" - but English is not one of them.

As for the English being a "language of a colonizing nation"... That is straight from a madhouse. It is like apologizing for selling bananas because Hitler liked bananas.

anarchist100

nigger, kike, faggot, how do you like that Oxford?

Dreamer

Argument Topic: Wow thanks for posting this guide! So far the guide looks amazing! :)

I also recommend this shorter version, only 54 pages long.

https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/ama-aamc-equity-guide.pdf

Just look at the section on reproductive health

. "ANTI-ABORTION,
ANTI-CHOICE
The term ‘pro-life’ is emotive and
misleading. Anti-abortion is accurate
and avoids negative connotations
that cause discrimination against
people that need or choose to have
abortions.
WE AVOID
pro-life"

I give the oxfams guide two thumbs up.

JoeKerr

Argument Topic: I give the oxfams guide two thumbs up.

@Dreamer
The only up I'll be giving Oxfam's guide is the middle finger!

Dreamer

Argument Topic: Have you read the guide?

@JoeKerr

Language matters.

https://oxfamilibrary.openrepository.com/bitstream/10546/621487/4/tk-inclusive-language-guide-130323-en.pdf

JoeKerr

Argument Topic: Language matters.

@Dreamer
Yes, language matters, and because it matters I will have no truck with
anything that tries to tell me what words I should use and what words I shouldn't use.
You asked if I have read the guide. Of course I have read the guide. I started this debate.
It's a guide to help snowflakes navigate their way through life by avoiding saying and doing things that most
people consider normal. As for normal, that's one of the many words this Oxfam guide says you shouldn't use.
If you think this Orwellian speak document will cause me to change the way I communicate with others, then dream on Dreamer!

Dee

@Dreamer


How do people like you navigate life without being  deeply wounded and offended every day ?

MayCaesar

Dreamer said:

@JoeKerr

Language matters.

https://oxfamilibrary.openrepository.com/bitstream/10546/621487/4/tk-inclusive-language-guide-130323-en.pdf

Language is just a communication tool. Any word can stand for anything, and as long as everyone involved understands what is being communicated, there is no issue to address.

Those who ascribe some divine powers to the language and believe that saying "man" instead of "person" is an offense... I have a language guide of my own on how to interact with them. The guide is an empty book.