“Wanting to recognize the existence of trans men and non-binary people does not mean that we can’t say the word ‘woman’ anymore,” writes Florence Ashley.
“Wanting to recognize the existence of trans men and non-binary people does not mean that we can’t say the word ‘woman’ anymore,” writes Florence Ashley.
In her recent column, Rosie DiManno laments the fact that the word “woman” is becoming a dirty word, one that cannot be spoken anymore. Yet few of the examples she gives are of people being disallowed from saying ‘woman.’ No — rather, they’re instances where other words were chosen.
Take her admonishment of congresswomen Cori Bush and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for using the words “birth people” and “menstruating people.” How exactly is their decision to use more inclusive terminology preventing you from saying you are a mother or a woman? Nor do their words imply that they would never use the word “woman” where they believe it more accurate.
Ocasio-Cortez’s own statement about menstruating people also spoke about women, saying “a woman, a female, or a menstruating person’s body.” She explained that the Texas ban on abortion was not about life, but about “controlling women’s bodies, and controlling people who are not cisgender men.” She also explicitly referred to the misogynist ideology that underpins the Texas ban on abortion — misogyny being a form of contempt or prejudice toward women.
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None of these erases women nor suggest that the word “woman” is bad. By using the word “menstruating people,” Ocasio-Cortez was simply acknowledging that anti-abortion laws impact countless women as well as the dozens of thousands of trans men and non-binary individuals who live in Texas and who, too, may have unwanted pregnancies and seek an abortion.
Given the dearth of trans-inclusive abortion services, that acknowledgment is of great importance.
What is so wrong with wanting to acknowledge the fact that trans men and non-binary people exist? How exactly is acknowledging their existence “trans activism run amok”? How is that “blotting out” women, as Rosie DiManno claims?
It would certainly be worrying if the word “woman” was banned, but that is not at risk of happening any time soon.
Yes, there is a push toward using more inclusive and accurate terminology. When a group does not only include women, it is better to use terminology reflecting that fact. But that doesn’t mean that you cannot use the word “women” to refer to women, or use expressions like “mothers and other birthing parents” to both make women visible while also acknowledging the existence of trans parents.
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Wanting to recognize the existence of trans men and non-binary people does not mean that we can’t say the word “woman” anymore. I must admit that I am confused as to why Rosie DiManno believes so. No one is trying to prevent her from saying “woman” — so why is she trying to prevent us from saying “people”?
Florence Ashley is a transfeminine jurist and bioethicist. They are currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and Joint Centre for Bioethics. www.florenceashley.com
