gender non-conforming
A letter saying they won
Linguist Geoff Pullum ignites a new firestorm with a blog post about singular they to refer to a non-binary person. [Published on 12-04-2017]
Everybody uses singular they, whether they realize it or not
Linguist Geoff Nunberg weighs on in singular they after it was voted 2016 word of the year. [Published on 12-30-2016]
The Pronoun They
This article explains how we have gender pronouns in the English language. By drawing examples from how English developed, McCulloch provides information of why gender pronouns are important and are used today.
#Ideology
#Lexicon
#Performativity
#Gender non conforming
#Gender binary [Published on 06-02-2014]
"Pink or Blue" Video
A video essay set to a poem on gender. It was commissioned to open the Saatchi showcase in Cannes the film uses 3D technology to allow the viewer to switch between two different versions of the film depending which set of glasses they view it through. Much of the video and poem deals with how language and performance affect one's social interactions. [Published on 07-01-2017]
Asterisk*
Play audioAsterisk* is a spoken word poem written and performed by Oliver Renee Schminkey. This piece first appeared as the closing act of The Naked I: Insides Out produced by 20% Theater Company in Minneapolis, MN. The artist, who identifies as gender queer, eloquently and powerfully describes what it is like to live in a world that neither affirms nor denies their gender identity. It exemplifies how prescriptive language that is set in ideology can be limiting and discriminatory.
'He', 'She', 'They' and 'Us'
This article appeared on The New York Times Insider and discusses transgender issues and the use of a person’s preferred pronoun rather than the conventional or binary pronouns commonly used when reporting a news story. The Washington Post, The Associated Press, and The New York Times policy for use of unconventional pronouns is discussed. [Published on 04-05-2017]
Last F**able Day
Play videoThis is a link from Amy Schumer's Comedy Central show called "Inside Amy Schumer" including the guest appearances of well known actresses Tina Fey, Patricia Arquette and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. In this Comedy Sketch they are holding a party to celebrate Julia's so called "Last Fuckable Day." When Amy asks what a Last Fuckable Day is the women proceed to tell her since they are all women age 45 and above that they have reached a point where they are no longer portrayed in the media as "fuckable" and this was worth celebrating because they no longer had to worry about acting sexy, looking sexy or preforming their feminine gender stereotypes. You will see examples when you watch the clip of how they are straying from their roles as women in today's society and of coarse with this being a comedy sketch everything is exaggerated and dramatized. This clip relates to what we have talked about in class and read in our "Living Language" book discussing preforming a certain role through language use. From the clip the use of language relating to their gender roles as older women is mentioned when they discuss the titles of the movies they will be cast in from now on as older women and what type of characters in movies they will be limited to because of their age and gender.
Gender Stereotype
Our society is so caught up with our gender stereotypes that even before we start to speak we have the idea of what it is meant to be a boy or a girl. This meme shows the usage of our society putting the color blue in relation to being a boy. This meme is using informal usage of words because it is putting a joke on our gender stereotype when it comes to wearing blue for a boy and pink for a girl.
Hillary and Her Iconic Pantsuits.
Play videoOne thing that really stood out when Hillary Clinton was running for president was iconic attire. Orthodoxically, woman who are in or are running for higher professions, such as the Presidency or any other higher office, would be expected to wear clothing such as a dress, a skirt, or a pair of slacks. The pantsuits worn by Clinton, however, during much of the campaign, is heterodoxical to much of what is normally worn by women in these positions. Conventionally, there has been a very negative sentiment towards this style of clothing as it has been received as inappropriately masculine, and there have even been attempts to ban it in certain places. Therefore, her use of this masculine attire during her campaign can be seen as an appeal of increasing power among women.
Response to "What it Means to Sound Gay" (LanguageLog)
Reed professor Sameer ud Dowla Khan's open letter response to NPR interview with filmmaker and speech pathologist from film project "Do I sound gay?" (transcript of interview found at link). Sameer describes how linguistic features do not necessarily link directly to social category (as is seen in indexical models) to problematize the concept of "natural"-ness in speech. (Compare with research done by Gaudio, Rudolph. 1994. Sounding gay: pitch properties in the speech of gay and straight men; especially re:criticisms of other studies made in introduction pp. 34-41). [Published on 07-10-2015]
Sorry, grammar nerds: The singular "they" has been declared Word of the Year
Coverage of the American Dialect Society's Word of the Year 2016 vote, in which singular 'they' used to refer to a known reference was voted word of the year.
Facebook, the gender binary, and third person pronouns
An article by Lal Zimman about Facebook's changes to the options provided to users for gender identity and preferred pronoun usage. [Published on 09-23-2014]
The Gender neutral pronoun: 150 years later, still an epic fail
An article suggesting that efforts to introduce a gender neutral pronoun into English are bound to fail, given the history of the practice. [Published on 08-16-2010]
How using 'they' as a singular pronoun can change the world
This is an article that discusses the importance of using singular 'they' and addresses issues related to its "correctness". [Published on 02-03-2015]
Can changing how you sound help you find your voice?
A NPR story profiling two women who worked to change their voices due to the stigmatization of their ways of talking. These woman worked with a voice therapist who normally provides therapy to transgender individuals. [Published on 10-14-2014]
The Seatbelt Crew - Hijra
Play videoA 2014 Public service announcement about the importance of wearing seat belts in India, where Hijras get the message out and are described as revered, sacred trans people who bestow blessings.
(Enlarge image)Marriage Rights for Intersex Individuals in Texas
A judge in Texas in 2010 refused to rule on whether trans or intersex individuals had the right to marry (and so be considered to be in "opposite-sex" relationships).