From the inclusive language files

This is in the British context.

Articles like this popping up all over the place.

Policy tells midwives to use terms such as ‘chestfeeding’ rather than ‘breastfeeding’
By Hayley Dixon
February 10, 2021 — 5.10pm
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London: Midwives in England have been told to stop using terms including “breastfeeding” and “breastmilk” as part of a new trans-friendly policy at a National Health Service trust.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals (BSUH) NHS Trust is the first in the country to formally implement a gender inclusive language policy for its maternity services department — which will now be known as “perinatal services”.

Staff have been told to avoid using the word “mothers” on its own and have been given a list of alternative terms to use when addressing patients including “mothers or birthing parents”, “breast/chestfeeding” and “maternal and parental”.

The recommended changes are part of a new trans-friendly policy at an NHS trust.
The recommended changes are part of a new trans-friendly policy at an NHS trust.CREDIT:FILE

Instead of saying “breastmilk”, they can choose from “human milk” or “breast/chestmilk” or “milk from the feeding mother or parent”.

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The language changes will be implemented in the trust’s webpages, leaflets and communications such as letters and emails. Staff will be asked to use language which reflects people’s “own identities and preferences” when talking to patients.

Other changes include replacing the use of the word “woman” with the phrase “woman or person”, and the term “father” with “parent”, “co-parent” or “second biological parent”, depending on the circumstances.

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There has been fierce debate around attempts to reduce the use of the word woman in discussion around subjects including pregnancy and childbirth, and any move to do so has provoked ire from some feminists.

Author JK Rowling was vilified last year after she questioned a decision to use the term “people who menstruate” in a headline.

In a policy document, released this week, the BSUH said staff should not stop using the word “woman” or other terms describing motherhood but they should consciously start adding in the word “people” and other more inclusive language.

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It said: “Gender identity can be a source of oppression and health inequality. We are consciously using the words ‘women’ and ‘people’ together to make it clear that we are committed to working on addressing health inequalities for all those who use our services.

“As midwives and birth workers, we focus on improving access and health outcomes for marginalised and disadvantaged groups. Women are frequently disadvantaged in healthcare, as are trans and non-binary people... By continuing to use the term ‘woman’ we commit to working on addressing health inequalities for all who use our services.”

The policy was written by Helen Green and Ash Riddington, described as “Gender Inclusion Midwives” at the unit.

Green, who uses the pronouns she/they and describes herself as non-binary, wrote on social media: “The work is for us and by us, developed from grassroots research and lived experiences in the trans and non-binary community.”

Freddy McConnell, the transgender man who in 2019 lost his High Court battle to register himself as the “father” on his child’s birth certificate, is listed as an external advisor of the document.

Brighton and Hove NHS Trust has long championed itself as a “leader for LGBT inclusion” after receiving a number of accolades from the controversial charity Stonewall.

It is listed on Stonewall’s website as a member of their Diversity Champions Program. It has been questioned in court whether membership of the scheme, which is paid for, is compatible with public bodies maintaining impartiality.

Stonewall is currently lobbying for self-identification of legal gender, which is a disputed concept, and it has come under fire for its stance on transgender issues with one of its founders Simon Fanshawe claiming it had “undermined women’s sex-based rights and protections”.

The guidance from BHSU follows a 2017 dictate from the British Medical Association which said pregnant women should not be called “expectant mothers” but “pregnant people” as it could offend intersex and transgender men.

An estimated one per cent of the adult population in Britain identifies as transgender or non-binary but the trans population in Brighton and Hove is thought to be larger.

Although no official figures exist on the trans community, research has shown nearly 10 per cent of the population of Brighton and Hove identify as LGBTQ+.

Seems to me language is always a contested terrain.

That said what is objectionable about the term perinatal?

Whether or not you identify as female, surely you have to have “breasts” in order to feed a baby in that way? That’s a physical characteristic, not a gender identifier...

While we're on transgender issues: this was released tonight.

‘We apologise for any hurt’: Readings regrets 2018 event with feminist author Julie Bindel
Jewel Topsfield
By Jewel Topsfield
February 10, 2021 — 9.45pm
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Melbourne bookseller Readings has belatedly apologised for hosting an event three years ago with radical feminist Julie Bindel, who faces criticism over her views on transgender issues.

In 2018 Bindel, a campaigner against male violence, spoke at a Hawthorn bookshop event about her book, The Pimping of Prostitution, about the global sex trade.

Author Julie Bindel
Author Julie Bindel

On Tuesday, Readings issued a statement on its website saying it “regrets programming Julie Bindel in 2018”. The independent bookseller apologised for “any hurt caused by highlighting the work of an author whose current stance is to divide our community”.

Bindel told The Age that she believed the apology was directly linked to an online event with transgender author Juno Dawson, which Readings would be hosting later this month.

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“Readings have publicly humiliated me and insulted me,” she said. “They have cowardly capitulated to bullies when for decades they have supported a diverse range of writers and publishers.”

Readings managing director Mark Rubbo declined to comment to The Age.

Bindel’s appearance at the 2018 event was controversial at the time.

Some accused Victorian Women’s Trust executive director Mary Crooks, who hosted the Q&A, of risking the trust’s reputation by “platforming Julie Bindel”.

Bindel does not believe transgender women are “real women” or that preoperative trans women should be included in female-only spaces, such as hospitals, prisons and refuges. She also says prostitution was inherently abusive of women and should be abolished.

The apology comes amid an increasingly toxic global debate over transgender rights and the inclusion of trans women in women-only spaces.

Readings managing director Mark Rubbo.
Readings managing director Mark Rubbo.CREDIT:PENNY STEPHENS

Some feminists question the recognition of trans women as women and disagree that gender identity should replace biological sex. Transgender activists say this view is transphobic and denies the validity of their existence.

Readings posted a statement on its blog and Twitter feed on Tuesday saying the independent bookseller “prides itself on ensuring everyone in our community feels safe, respected and considered”.

The statement thanked “our community for opening the dialogue with us” and said it was “committed to considering the work of all authors to ensure our future program of events, reviews and discussions remain relevant and diverse”.

The apology was welcomed by Transgender Victoria media representative Sally Goldner, AM, and Dylan O’Hara, from Vixen Collective, Victoria’s peer-only sex worker organisation.

Ms Goldner said: “Her views have no reasonable and rational basis and they cause ridicule, vilify and could reasonably incite harm against transgender people.

“To say we don’t exist, or to use twisted terms like to call someone like myself ... a so-called biological male, just denies that my sense of self exists.”

Transgender Victoria media representative Sally Goldner.
Transgender Victoria media representative Sally Goldner.CREDIT:EDDIE JIM

Dylan O’Hara said the apology was overdue, but showed accountability and recognition of the harm that was caused to trans people and sex workers.

“It would be great to see other organisations look at it as an opportunity to pre-empt these kind of situations. Sex workers and trans people made their views very clear at the time. If you take a ‘Nothing about us without us’ approach these kind of apologies aren’t necessary.”

Ms Crooks said on Wednesday that while the bookseller had the right to apologise, she worried about losing the ability to hold a dialogue.

“In my view if we’re not careful we will find that the capacity for considered safe, respectful and enlightened debate is being eroded before our eyes,” she said.

Ms Crooks said she was criticised at the time for appearing at the event with Ms Bindel.

“I pushed back gently to say I didn’t subscribe to the de-platform argument,” she said.

Victorian Women’s Trust executive director Mary Crooks.
Victorian Women’s Trust executive director Mary Crooks.CREDIT:JUSTIN MCMANUS

Ms Crooks said she had been able to ask questions of Bindel that were “deeply probing”, including whether she could find it in her heart to include diverse people and give them her respect.

“The point is that the conversation that took part between Julie and myself was not some uncritical discussion but a thoughtful pushing of intellectual boundaries around her work,” she said.

She said she felt jumpy about the possibility of losing genuine debate in the future. “The key is to understand people’s position and ideas, not stomp all over them.”

Bindel has been outspoken for years against what she calls “extreme transgender ideology”.

“I don’t believe trans women are real women. Those of us who are female are oppressed under the patriarchy, one of the tools used is our biology,” she told The Age.

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“I have absolutely no beef with the transgender community but I will not have preoperative trans women imprisoned along with the most disenfranchised women on the planet.”

Some feminist perspectives on trans women have become increasingly heated.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling was last year accused of transphobia after releasing an essay linking her experience of sexual assault with her concern over transgender women’s access to women-only spaces.

Last month a women-only pool in Sydney – McIver’s Ladies Baths – was criticised over a policy that suggested only transgender women who had undergone gender reassignment surgery could use the pool.

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More politically correct lunacy

I must say I struggle to imagine what it must feel like to occupy the body of one gender but inwardly feel as though you are the other gender.

I expect it would be beyond pretty tough.

Talking to gay and lesbian friends, I get at least some the difficulties they experienced aside from all the ups and downs that life presents everyone with.

But the whole trans gender dysphoria issue mystifies me.

All power to those who speak out on the issue to explain their experience and point of view to the rest of us. I am trying to be less jaw dropping.

Still the apology from the Readings Bookshop (my favourite bookshop) did widen my eyes. I have not read (nor are likely to) the works of the feminist who writes about prostitution. Clearly tho she has been nailed up because of her views on transgender issues, like JK Rowling.

Strange old times.

The latest weirdness is that men shouldn't have to wear ties, even if obligated because they're a phallic symbol of colonial white rule.

Red wrote:The latest weirdness is that men shouldn't have to wear ties, even if obligated because they're a phallic symbol of colonial white rule.

good, I hate ties

Hopefully suits and shirt collars will be a thing of the past when offices return to normal anyway, given working from home has proved there’s absolutely no need for them...

Don’t wear ties or suits. Useless garments.

lardbucket wrote:Don’t wear ties or suits. Useless garments.

I like jackets to carry all my crap.

Ties are the sackcloth and ashes of bureaucratic life.

I've always felt most comfortable in a T shirt and jeans ... so I go as close to that as permitted. In Cairns it was shorts and boat shoes.

A phone in the top pocket with the essential cards (no wallet) and a small selection of keys ... less to lose, because I'm good at losing stuff.

This 'discussion' is more likely to bring about a comeback for the tie than any other result.

Fred Nerk wrote:This 'discussion' is more likely to bring about a comeback for the tie than any other result.

Somewhere I have a big collection of Italian Silk Ties. Most have soy or tomato stains. I always used to wear them as I felt it would be dishonest to not do so.

Expect that does not make sense. Oh well, why change?

ANU to drop ‘mother’ and ‘father’ in bid for gender inclusive education
The nation’s top university has told staff to stop using words like mother in favour of “gestational parent” and to call fathers the “non-birthing parent”.

Christopher Harris

Academics at the nation’s top university have told staff to stop using the word “mother’’ and replace it with “gestational parent”, while a “father’’ should now be referred to as a “non-birthing parent” in order to deliver gender-inclusive education.

The Australian National University’s Gender Institute Handbook instructs tutors and lecturers to use terms like “chestfeeding’’ instead of breastfeeding and “human or parent’s milk’’ instead of the phrase “mother’s milk’’.

The guide instructs staff to refer to mothers as the “gestational” parent. Picture: istock
The guide instructs staff to refer to mothers as the “gestational” parent. Picture: istock
“When discussing childbirth, use the terms ‘gestational’ or ‘birthing’ parent rather than ‘mother’, and the terms ‘non-gestational’ or ‘non-birthing’ parent rather than ‘father’,” the book says.

“While many students will identify as ‘mothers’ or ‘fathers’, using these terms alone to describe parenthood excludes those who do not identify with gender-binaries.

“This non-gendered language is particularly important in clinical or abstract academic discussions of childbirth and parenthood, both to recognise the identities of students in the class, and to model inclusive behaviour for students entering clinical practice.”

The guide acknowledged staff might “make a mistake” but urged them to practise until they got it right.

“Do not worry if you make a mistake, simply acknowledge it and correct yourself,’’ the handbook instructs.

“Language habits take practice to overcome, and students respect the efforts you make to be inclusive.”

The university also said to refer to chestfeeding. Picture: iStock
The university also said to refer to chestfeeding. Picture: iStock
The handbook states it is “for any ANU student or staff member involved or interested in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students”.

But an ANU spokesman distanced the university from the handbook when asked about it yesterday.

“The guide is an academic output produced by experts who are free to research in their field of expertise under our policies on academic freedom,” he said.

“This document is not an official ANU policy, process or official prescription to staff and students.”

University of Sydney sociologist Associate Professor Salvatore Balbones said trying to engineer what people could or could not say was misguided. “For the most part we can all get along just fine, part of what makes societies work is their ambiguity and their flexibility,” he said.

“The good intentions behind some of these types of codes just don’t take into account social realities.”

Prof Balbones said using words like non-gestational parent and human or parent’s milk was pedantic and would lead to confusion.

“Most people don‘t know what parent’s milk is and would question what it means. If someone said parent’s milk they might be looking for a brand of milk named parent’s milk,” he said.

Plain English Foundation executive director Neil James said language guides often shaped the way people thought.

“It is very powerful, the way you describe a term can have a loading and can have that social engineering purpose,’’ Dr James said.

“Choosing particular terms will steer community attitudes.”

He noted a study about euthanasia that found 70 per cent of Australians supported “ending a person’s life by some painless means”, but only 51 per cent supported the statement “assist the patient to commit suicide”.

“The reality is people take a stance on these (issues) and try to frame the language accordingly,” he said.

“Birth parent and non-birth parent will probably become more common when dealing with non-binary gender people but I am not sure about chestfeeding taking off.”

Well for a start as a Uni of Melb loyalist Rolf can stick his 'ANU is Australia's leading university' crap fair up his, er, ANUs....

And for seconds, it should surprise nobody to learn that the rubbish NZ all-rounder's namesake 'writes' for the LSPFSP, so even more than 'the things that you're li'ble to read in the bible....'

Fred Nerk wrote:Well for a start as a Uni of Melb loyalist Rolf can stick his 'ANU is Australia's leading university' crap fair up his, er, ANUs....

And for seconds, it should surprise nobody to learn that the rubbish NZ all-rounder's namesake 'writes' for the LSPFSP, so even more than 'the things that you're li'ble to read in the bible....'

Found a cricket connection.

Think many are tiring of academics thinking up this kind of stuff.

Barbie is sexist, Postman Pat is too male, and now the Mr. Men characters are in the WOKE firing line
Martyn Andrews
Martyn Andrews
is a British television presenter, broadcast journalist, professional actor, and singer. Follow him on Twitter @martynandrews

3 Dec, 2019 16:24 / Updated 1 year ago
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Barbie is sexist, Postman Pat is too male, and now the Mr. Men characters are in the WOKE firing line
Egmont UK
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It seems a week doesn’t pass without someone digging up culture from the past and throwing in onto the pyre of politically incorrect things. Called ‘Mr. Men’, one famous British book and TV series is just asking for trouble.
The books were written by English author Roger Hargreaves in 1971, with the Little Miss series following 10 years later. The books have sold more than 100 million copies across 28 countries, featuring the popular characters Mr. Tickle, Little Miss Chatterbox, Mr. Rude, and many others.

Fast forward to ‘everything is offensive 2019’, and a student of feminist issues from Glasgow, Shelby Judge, shared a picture of the book on social media with the over-the-top heading “Mr Mansplain.”

Mr. Mansplain #EverydaySexismpic.twitter.com/YNNtauwCjW

— Shelby Judge // STRIKE (@Judgeyxo) November 17, 2019
The sensitive online warrior was outraged by the condescending tone of a scene in a book when two of the characters discuss the Scottish landmark the Forth Bridge. Little Miss Curious asks Mr. Clever what happened to bridges preceding the Forth Bridge. He explains that the title “comes from the River Forth”..... “What had happened to the first, second and third rivers?” she asks in return. Mr. Clever then sighs and thinks to himself it’s going to be “a very long day.” Bam, trigger!

The 24-year-old academic was aghast at a man depicted as explaining something to a woman – and feeling exasperated at having to do it: “They’re using Mr Men to enforce these ridiculous antiquated gender roles.

“It’s meant to be a funny joke, but then it’s always at the expense of women. It’s punching down. You don’t have to joke at the expense of anyone, there’s just no need.”

In a case of a Master’s feminist student looking for something that could only offend a person looking to be offended… social media fans of the popular children’s books didn’t agree.

If anyone survived the cringe overload reading the #ShelbyJudge tripe about Mr Men...a note to men (excuse femsplaining) 1. We aren’t all as angry over kids books as her 2. If I don’t know something and ask a question, you’re welcome to answer (ya know like normal people do)!!

— Rach (@4EvaRachel1) December 3, 2019
Some people aka snowflakes are now criticising Mr Men characters as being sexist, etc? WTF!!!

— Alf Love (@alf_love47) December 3, 2019
Egmont UK, the publisher of the Mr. Men books, defended the series and dismissed the student’s sexism claims: “In Mr Men Scotland, the many Mr Men and Little Miss characters in the book get up to their usual antics. The book is a celebration of Scotland and its unique heritage sites.”

Mr. Men’s publisher is showing remarkable resilience when faced with woke-era revisionism – unlike other children’s classics. Barbie, launched in 1959, is being called cliche’ and sexist and unrepresentative of everyday women – and the doll’s maker has been incessantly introducing various inclusivity tokens in its product lines. Popular UK cartoon character Postman Pat has been dubbed “outdated” and dropped as the British Fire Service mascot – in a bid to encourage more women to join the force.

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It’s not the first time Mr. Men characters have been in the woke spotlight, either – critics have highlighted negative character traits like Miss Bossy and Mr. Uppity (which is now a problematic word too, by the way) could be bad for young readers. But one person’s tired gender stereotypes are another’s children’s literacy classic.

There are currently 85 Mr. Men and Little Miss characters – maybe it’s time for Little Miss Snowflake?

So the question is, by changing Pat the Postman from a man, does it really influence more girls to become postpeople?

Maybe it's time to join the many....God knows I'm bored shitless hearing about it. (Spesh seeing as I've just gone another Christmas without a hint of being wished 'Happy bloody 'Holidays'...)

EDIT: And unless you want to write off your credibility as a tax deduction. never use the word 'snowflake' unless you're talking about meteorology...

HR people justifying their jobs.

They should all be on the B Ark.

Mr Mansplaining getting a run?

Inevitably, they were. It’s as good a creation story as any other.

BTW, all this language manipulation is having its desired effect as students are now telling me that there is no such thing as gender.

Well Red I'll offer to pay all inclusive for southern schoolkids and their braindead teachers to come to one of the gullf properties where they can play with Toby the sexually and gender challenged wiener.   Should be a nice day for him as he'll be chops and sausages the next day and we like to offer a more personal service to the mentally farked up ones.


But only if you stop posting fruit loop views of people whose fruit loop book is coming out that week.  Though the decoy conversation on ties was alright, I hate the farkers too.