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  1. Butterfree

    Do you identify as a feminist?

    That just means that "dude" and "guy" have become relatively gender-neutral terms. Language shapes the way we think about things, yes, but we don't think very hard about language; the shaping happens when we have words to express some things and others not, or when the words we use for things...
  2. Butterfree

    Do you identify as a feminist?

    Why should we care what it's like in the Romance languages? In German groups of people are always "feminine" by this definition (though actually it would be more accurate to describe it as "the plural happens to be the same as the feminine singular"). In fact, when addressing somebody...
  3. Butterfree

    Do you identify as a feminist?

    I can't say what is or isn't offensive to someone else, no, but I happen to believe (unlike some people, I realize) that there truly comes a point where your being offended or hurt is your problem and not society's problem. For the sake of distinguishing those cases from those I would truly...
  4. Butterfree

    Do you identify as a feminist?

    First off, I was referring to "he" as a default pronoun as in when it is used in lieu of an attempt to be gender-neutral when referring to hypothetical people: "A reader fond of mathematics may now find himself wondering..." No actual person who may possibly be transgender is hurt. Secondly...
  5. Butterfree

    Do you identify as a feminist?

    I've always been sort of iffy on the whole linguistic sexism thing. There is language that actively draws negative comparisons, like 'chick' comparing women to flailing baby birds, where I can see the potential for offense, but I just don't really believe something like using "he" as a default...
  6. Butterfree

    Do you identify as a feminist?

    Because the Latin root of the word 'feminine' is understood by English speakers to refer to something of or relating to women, whereas the -ist ending is not understood by English speakers to be in any way tied to masculinity.
  7. Butterfree

    Do you identify as a feminist?

    Even if -ist is a masculine ending in Latin, the fact is that modern English uses "Xist" to mean "person who does/approves of/engages in X", with no implication of gender. All -ist words are used gender-neutrally in English, and English-speakers have no reason to associate the ending with...
  8. Butterfree

    Do you identify as a feminist?

    Yes, 'feminism' is a word that is misleading about the intentions of the movement if read literally. Do you have any idea just how many words in English are misleading for the same sorts of historical reasons? If you're just reading the words, clearly astrology is the study of the stars whereas...
  9. Butterfree

    Do you identify as a feminist?

    Feminism has absolutely nothing to do with thinking women are better than men. That doesn't mean you need to identify as a feminist as the poll asks, of course, but you appear to honestly believe this, so I felt I ought to correct you. What bugs me about statements like "porn objectifies...
  10. Butterfree

    Do you identify as a feminist?

    Feminists are a very diverse group of people and many different, often partly contradictory beliefs have been sincerely advanced as feminist. However, you may have been somewhat misunderstanding the ones you're thinking of: feminism tends to be very significantly about asserting a woman's right...
  11. Butterfree

    Do you identify as a feminist?

    I think since this thread asks specifically whether you identify as a feminist rather than just whether you are a feminist, I think "Well, if you believe in equal rights you are a feminist" is a bit missing the point here; my impression is that this thread is at least partly about attitudes like...
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