Sexism and gender-based violence is normalized in a number of ways in Western culture; one of the most accepted and unseen way is our language itself. For example, it has become widely acceptable to refer to a mixed-gender group of people–or even all women–as “guys.” It may seem harmless, but we must consider the potential harmful effects of male-related terms and phrases being acceptable as the neutral or baseline. What might be the triggering trauma that results from referring to a group as “guys” when there is a trans* individual present? In what ways may the experience or identity of a girl or woman be negated by the male-as-neutral language? This info graphic above provides gender neutral options that highlight how unnecessary it is to use some of the most common gendered words and phrases.
– Brett Goldberg
