Sexist Terms - and alternatives
This list of sexist terms shows not only what may be avoided but also how they may be avoided.
If in the company of people who are made uncomfortable by sexist terms, there is a polite and linguistically acceptable alternative in most cases. The often quoted "person aperture cover" for "man hole" is both a hoax and a parody of the intention of the language. The following are becoming increasingly accepted and mostly are no longer an issue of contention.
The following
checklist of alternatives to sexist language was produced by a publisher giving
advice to authors.
1. Do you agree with the premise that the "words to be avoided"
are in fact sexist?
2. Do you agree that the "words to be preferred" are suitable?
3. Explain your decisions and suggest better alternatives where possible.
| mankind | humanity, human beings, human race, people, humankind, humans |
| man's achievements | human achievements, our achievements |
| If a man drove 50 miles at 60 mph ... | If a person drove 50 miles at 60 mph ... |
| the best man for the job | the best person (or candidate) for the job |
| man-made | artificial, synthetic, manufactured, constructed, of,human origin |
| manpower | workers. workforce, staff, labour, staffing, human resources |
| man | people, humankind, men and women, women and men, individuals, human beings, person, the individual |
| man the desk | staff the desk, be at the desk |
| manpower planning | labour market planning, workforce planning, staff planning, workload planning |
| chairman | chairperson, chair, convener (don't use non-parallel terms such as 'chairman' for men and 'chairperson' or 'person chairing' for women) |
| headmaster | headteacher, head |
| policeman, fireman | police officer, fire fighter |
If the gender of the person being discussed is unknown or could be female or male, there are several alternatives. One is to use 'She or he should show his/her tickets', or even "S/he should show ..." (only common on forms and questionnaires). Another is to use the plural "Customers should show their tickets" or to use the second person pronoun instead - "Please show your ticket." Use of the passive is an alternative though it may lead to less clarity - "Tickets should be shown."
It's worth pointing out that many attempts have been made to devise new and neutral pronouns, though none has become common. S/he is possibly the nearest to popularity.
Spivak gender
The idea behind Spivak gender is to replace our current set of gendered pronouns
with a genderless set. This provides a degree of vagueness about identity and
sexual orientation conducive to more adventurous e-mail postings.
A proposed set of "Spivak gender" pronouns includes "e, em, eir, eirs, eirself, sie." In Spivak-speak, "She talks to herself,' would become "Sie talks to eirself," "sie" being a substitute for both "he" and "she."
Do not assume that the male should always come first, so alternate she and he, hers and his, wives and husbands.
Neutral 'spouse' and 'sibling' may be preferable in some cases to husband and wife, sister and brother.