The new Jesus and Mo strip, called “special”, came with an email note:
Non-binary Moses is back! We think he’ll be ditching the label soon.
For anyone unfamiliar with this latest iteration of the ‘soul’, Stonewall has a guide which reads like a masterpiece of deadpan.
I’m not sure what the artist means by “masterpiece of deadpan” (it seems to be largely about pronoun use), but I guess Moses isn’t as special as he thought.
As for pronouns, as I’ve always said, I’m glad to use whatever pronoun someone desires, but somehow I can’t bring myself to use my personal pronouns in introductions or in letters or emails. Unless, that is, my personal pronoun is “His Majesty” or “Your Majesty.” Is it wrong to just emphasize your pronoun only if it differs from the norm?
Just had to share
Now ANTS go non-binary! Newly discovered species is named ‘they’ https://mol.im/a/9545701 via http://dailym.ai/android
I would have thought the new ant would be named “THEM!”. “They” is kinda lame.
That’s brilliant, @Peter N.
+1
Not everyone is in the northern or southern hemisphere – so must we stop calling it “spring/summer/fall/winter”? It excludes an entire half of the people on Earth because of where they live on the Earth!
To be honest, the astronomers (and surveyors, singing from the same hymn sheet) have been onto that for centuries, and you’ll see the literature littered with phrases like “near local zenith” or “local noon”. Determining longitude by sextant has always been a case of measuring the distance between “local noon” and “reference noon” (as reported by a chronograph with which you carry “reference noon” around the globe).
Interesting, thanks – sadly, I think I’ll have to degrade myself by using the conventional season names – unless I ever get invited to an astronomical convention.
I didn’t know until now that “feminity” is actually a word! Never seen it in the U.S.; is it common elsewhere?
Miriam-Webster identifies it as an actual word of English, a synonym for ‘femininity’.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feminity
Since they’re a dictionary of American English, you have to suppose that it’s used in the US, though I’ve never heard it before or seen it in print.
It was picked up in the comments on the J&M site as well as a few other typos. The original now says “femininity”
Google doesn’t seem to know about it. Perhaps it’s a typo. After all, if it is a word, wouldn’t it be paired with “masculity”?
So are the woke now using “gender” to be synonymous with “stereotype”? That would be annoying.
I’m pretty lefty-lefterson, and eager to be inclusive and accepting and yadayada – so have considered myself to be supportive of trans’ stuffs. However, the more I read, the more I’m a bit concerned that for some folks, this means a return to gender-essentialist stereotypes. If a boy likes sparkles, they must be a transgirl. That’s just wrong-thinking. Sparkles and colors for anyone who likes them, is my motto. If we were to just accept kids as they are, not telling them certain likes or dislikes are ‘wrong’ because they are meant for the other gender, would be be seeing as many kids thinking to transition? Even typing this out, I presume, would get me labeled a TERF, which I most certainly am not.
Take a look at :
Why Gender Matters
Leonard Sax, MD, PhD
… and at this excellent essay by a feminist and gender studies expert, who the woketariat at the University of San Diego tried to get fired, but whose job was saved by the increasingly indispensable Academic Freedom Alliance:
https://4w.pub/fantasy-worlds-on-the-political-right-and-left-qanon-and-trans-sex-beliefs-2/
A very well-thought-out critique of the dangerous fantasies of the QAnon right and the trans-women-are-women antifeminist left (with a nice elaboration of the idea that denying the biological reality of sex differences, and their social consquences, is yet another iteration of an ancient mysogyny which has now morphed into a really bizarre and destructive form).
Yeah fully agree. The differences in numbers of girls vs. boys concerned about their gender also seems to me to be a sign that we – still or again – raising our boys to be self-confident in a way we might not be raising our girls to be. Whether that’s down to us parents, the feedback they get from society, or both, or other things, or even biology, it seems to be a tough problem to overcome.
Two other titles – in addition to the one I posted – to consider by Leonard Sax :
Boys Adrift
Girls on the Edge
Male-to-female is far more common than female-to-male (nearly four times as common), so I don’t think you’re on the right track here.
[Adopting a stereotype] That must be the fault of soft, womanish women raising our boys instead of beefy hunky he-men performing such nurturing roles. Boys should be brought up solely by men, wearing dresses and worshipping a dead sadomasochist icon so they know that their role in life is to abandon their offspring to the care of strangers. Consuela, what does your employer’s child think about being cared for by employees of theirs?
[OK, several stereotypes]
Totally Mr./Ms Yazikus: Lefty McLeftface from Manhattan here: just let them kids alone and let them sort out what they want to be at puberty. And be NICE. That’s all.
“Content of character….” etc.
D.A.
NYC
https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2020/06/10/photos-of-readers-93/
[ should have put this on yazikus’s reply above ]
For a good, general audience book – with specific attention to the growth of children – this book is recommended :
Why Gender Matters
Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Sax shows examples from the psychology practice, and there are a number of interesting scientific facts. And yes – he is quite inclusive in his treatment of the complex topic.
Deadpan humour, expounding a ridiculous position straight faced, without any indication how ludicrous it is.
In which case, I take it, your personal pronoun would be “we” — as in “[W]e are not amused.”
The royal we…You know, the editorial.
What in God’s holy name are you blathering about? 🙂
Moses supposes two genders suffices, but Moses supposes erroneously…
“you’re either non binary or you’re not” wins today’s internet as far as I’m concerned.
My pronouns are I/me.
If you want to talk to me, the correct pronoun is you.
If you’re talking to somebody else about me, use whatever pronouns you like, although, if the other person knows me, they might be confused if you don’t use he/him.
Well said.
Was at a meeting once where everyone (had to spend valuable time) earnestly listing heir personal pronouns. Another older lady and myself got by just saying “pass.” That was several years ago, I don’t know if that would be acceptable now.
Stonewall was originally founded specifically to fight for the rights of gay men and lesbians but has recently wandered off into quasi-religious genderland.
Damnit call me anything you want – and I’ll call you whatever you want: just don’t call me late for lunch. I HATE missing lunch!
D.A.
NYC
https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2020/06/10/photos-of-readers-93/
I’ve been using that line for … ohh, mid-90s if not earlier.
It really means something when the galley literally locks the door at 01:00, 07:00, 13:00 and 19:00 local time, and unlocks them 4 hours later. The interesting things always happen when you’ve got several things to do simultaneously, including getting to the galley.
Jules’ wallet from Pulp Fiction – oh – that was a proper noun – still might be worth a shot if anyone asks :
“- I want you to go in that bag and find my wallet. – Which one is it? – It’s the one that says bad mother f*(#er on it.”
* this was edited a lot – apologies.
I answer to “Hey you!/Yeah, you!”