Off Topic Political Correctness

[JJFIVEOH]

Why is 'hermaphrodite' considered offensive? Where do we draw the line? Is it considered ignorant if somebody can't keep up with the new label of the day? 

 

This seems like it could be a decent discussion, if kept civil. I don't feel comfortable derailing the Olympics thread. Mods, feel free to move those posts over to here if you like. 

[deluca67]

Why is 'hermaphrodite' considered offensive? Where do we draw the line? Is it considered ignorant if somebody can't keep up with the new label of the day? 

 

This seems like it could be a decent discussion, if kept civil. I don't feel comfortable derailing the Olympics thread. Mods, feel free to move those posts over to here if you like.

Why does anyone care? It's 2016, way past the time to stop caring about what people have under their skirts  or in their pants or whatever. 

[dudacek]

Repost from where this conversation started:

 

Words evolve. Words have different meanings to different people.

If the purpose is to communicate well, both parties should be conscious of how the words are being perceived.

[Weave]

Why does it seem an effort to use a non-offensive label?

[K-9]

Why are folks so hung up on the term "ignorant" and when did that garner such a negative connotation? Baffles me. 

 

I think some people are just offended when it's even remotely suggested they offended. Used to be we could just say, "Sorry, I meant no offense," which then created room for meaningful dialogue. Now we can't get past feeling offended when merely accused of having offended someone and the potential for gainful exchange is lost. This, too, baffles me. 

[Weave]

To expand.... At the end of the day, does it matter why someone is offended by a word? In this case, it seems that it isnt an individual, it is a group that finds a term objectionable. In the interest of living in a polite society, does your not using that term really depend on why it is deemed objectionable? Would common courtesy not be to change your use of the term?

 

This seems rebel without a cause territory to me.

 

Why are folks so hung up on the term "ignorant" and when did that garner such a negative connotation? Baffles me.

 

I think some people are just offended when it's even remotely suggested they offended. Used to be we could just say, "Sorry, I meant no offense," which then created room for meaningful dialogue. Now we can't get past feeling offended when merely accused of having offended someone and the potential for gainful exchange is lost. This, too, baffles me.

I think ignorant became a slur when it started being used to describe a lack of intelligence instead of a lack of information. Edited August 21, 2016 by We've

[JJFIVEOH]

Why does it seem an effort to use a non-offensive label?

 

It's not an effort to use a non-offensive label. It becomes an effort when every other word is deemed offensive in the name of political correctness. 

[dudacek]

1) Why is 'hermaphrodite' considered offensive?

2) Where do we draw the line?

3) Is it considered ignorant if somebody can't keep up with the new label of the day? 

 

 

1) I'm not sure, but I'm pretty certain the Internet has the answer.

2) when the goal is to demean or attack instead of enlighten or educate

3) depends on your definition of ignorant and can't keep up; the key to me would seem to me the presence of a willful choice not to accept or adapt to new information when it becomes available.

[JJFIVEOH]

Why are folks so hung up on the term "ignorant" and when did that garner such a negative connotation? Baffles me. 

 

I think some people are just offended when it's even remotely suggested they offended. Used to be we could just say, "Sorry, I meant no offense," which then created room for meaningful dialogue. Now we can't get past feeling offended when merely accused of having offended someone and the potential for gainful exchange is lost. This, too, baffles me. 

 

I've grown tired of that word myself. We've nailed it perfectly. 

 

There is a difference between calling somebody a racial, sexual or any other miscellaneous slur with malicious intent, and not being caught up on the daily label. I was labeled ignorant by a poster because of this, and then went on to tell me I need to be more tolerant and empathetic. Which is ironic in itself. 

[K-9]

To expand.... At the end of the day, does it matter why someone is offended by a word? In this case, it seems that it isnt an individual, it is a group that finds a term objectionable. In the interest of living in a polite society, does your not using that term really depend on why it is deemed objectionable? Would common courtesy not be to change your use of the term?

 

This seems rebel without a cause territory to me.

 

I think ignorant became a slur when it started being used to describe a lack of intelligence instead of a lack of information.

So, it was ignorance of the word and the utter bastardization of its meaning that allowed it to be co-opted. The irony is palpable. 

[WildCard]

Ohhh this is ognna be a fun thread

 

[Weave]

JJ,

I think you've got it wrong. Noone chastised you for not being aware. You were made aware at the same time I was, and noone chastised me. It was your reaction after being made aware that resulted in the term ignorant being tossed around. You reacted as if it was a bother to implement your new found understanding. Like I said, with knowledge there is 0 effort involved in not offending.

 

Probably not a proper use of the word ignorant, but I think the context was pretty straight forward.

So, it was ignorance of the word and the utter bastardization of its meaning that allowed it to be co-opted. The irony is palpable.

I blame millenials.

[JJFIVEOH]

1) I'm not sure, but I'm pretty certain the Internet has the answer.

2) when the goal is to demean or attack instead of enlighten or educate

3) depends on your definition of ignorant and can't keep up; the key to me would seem to me the presence of a willful choice not to accept or adapt to new information when it becomes available.

 

1) I was told that 'intersex' is the new inoffensive term for hermaphrodite. I wasn't aware scientific terms were offensive. 

2) I agree. If there is malicious intent, then we can start talking about being offensive. 

3) I think there is a difference between an unwillingness to accept, and an unwillingness to keep up. I'm not unwilling to accept those who identify however they choose. That's up to them, and if it makes them happy, good for them. It's just not fair to call me ignorant because I don't know what to call you. Why do we have to have a label for everybody? 

[dudacek]

Two things to consider:

Three or four generations ago, retarded was the politically correct term.

Would you ever call your wife fat, even if she was 50 pounds heavier than when you married her?

 

As I said above, words evolve.

And choosing words that don't cause offence makes life flow a little more smoothly.

 

I get the frustration over people who seem to constantly be offended and how it seems their offence can be misused as a weapon to halt important discourse. But isn't the best response to apologize, choose your words more carefully and steer the discussion back to the issue at hand? As We've states, acting otherwise seems to tread into the rebel without a cause territory.

[JJFIVEOH]

JJ,

I think you've got it wrong. Noone chastised you for not being aware. You were made aware at the same time I was, and noone chastised me. It was your reaction after being made aware that resulted in the term ignorant being tossed around. You reacted as if it was a bother to implement your new found understanding. Like I said, with knowledge there is 0 effort involved in not offending.

 

Probably not a proper use of the word ignorant, but I think the context was pretty straight forward.

 

I blame millenials.

 

The comment was made that many people find the term hermaphrodite offensive. I thought that was a reach. Do non-hermaphrodites find it offensive? If not, is it only the hermaphrodites that find it offensive? How many hermaphrodites really find the term offensive? I questioned the integrity of that post because I find it hard to believe.

 

I don't have an issue with newfound words. I have a hard time figuring out why there is such a necessity to label everybody. 

[Weave]

The comment was made that many people find the term hermaphrodite offensive. I thought that was a reach. Do non-hermaphrodites find it offensive? If not, is it only the hermaphrodites that find it offensive? How many hermaphrodites really find the term offensive? I questioned the integrity of that post because I find it hard to believe.

 

I don't have an issue with newfound words. I have a hard time figuring out why there is such a necessity to label everybody.

Does the why really matter? Even a little?

 

And that same post you mentioned also suggested that hermaphrodite isnt even the accurate term. So why the agina at all?

 

 

And Im more than a little weirded out that now someone, somewhere in the world is going to come across one of my posts somewhere around page 17 in a google search of the word hermaphrodite. Ive used this term more times today than in my entire adulthood.

Edited August 21, 2016 by We've

[WildCard]

And Im more than a little weirded out that now someone, somewhere in the world is going to come across one of my posts somewhere around page 17 in a google search of the word hermaphrodite. Ove us d this term more times today than in my entire adulthood.

It's a miracle that anyone makes it past page 2 of a Google search. If someone makes it to page 17, even Google isn't sure what the they're doing

[Neo]

According to the American Psychological Association:

 

""Intersex" was originally a medical term that was later embraced by some intersex persons. Many experts and persons with intersex conditions have recently recommended adopting the term "disorders of sex development" (DSD). They feel that this term is more accurate and less stigmatizing than the term intersex."

 

For those ignorant of the metamorphoses of the word 'hermaphrodite' to the word 'intersex', you can take solace in knowing your ignorance is likely to be short lived.

 

DSD emerges, until, of course, someone's offended by 'disorder', which will surely follow.

Edited August 21, 2016 by N'eo

[Weave]

A google search of the question "is hermaphrodite a slur" was informative.

 

As mentioned earlier, it is an improper use of the term when describing a human. I would think that should be enough.

[JJFIVEOH]

Does the why really matter? Even a little?

 

And that same post you mentioned also suggested that hermaphrodite isnt even the accurate term. So why the agina at all?

 

 

And Im more than a little weirded out that now someone, somewhere in the world is going to come across one of my posts somewhere around page 17 in a google search of the word hermaphrodite. Ive used this term more times today than in my entire adulthood.

 

In a way, it does matter. Because when people start taking offense to a scientific term (regardless of the similarities to intersex) how are people supposed to gauge what might be considered offensive any more? What's next, days of the week? Shirt colors? That might sound excessive, but at some point so did scientific terms. 

[Weave]

In a way, it does matter. Because when people start taking offense to a scientific term (regardless of the similarities to intersex) how are people supposed to gauge what might be considered offensive any more? What's next, days of the week? Shirt colors? That might sound excessive, but at some point so did scientific terms.

Do you still use retarded to describe people? Same idea. Retarded use to be an accepted mainstream term for the genetic condition. We evolve and so does the words we use.

Edited August 21, 2016 by We've

[JJFIVEOH]

Do you still use retarded to describe people? Same idea.

 

Retarded is an adjective, not a scientific term. 

[Eleven]

Do you still use retarded to describe people? Same idea.

 

I wanted to use this example earlier.  Same with .

 

To put it another way:  Gay marriage now has been legal in the US for fourteen months.  How has the "sanctity of your marriage," which was such the concern, been affected?

 

Let people live the way they want to, as long as they're not hurting others.

 

If a community finds a term to be offensive, just avoid it.

 

This isn't hard.

 

It's called "being nice."

[Weave]

Retarded is an adjective, not a scientific term.

It was widely used in the medical community. Lets not split hairs.

[WildCard]

Can we play 'Guess that word'??