<nettime> New Inclusive English

[paul <paul@denknerd.org>]

Hey all,

I read this article yesterday: 
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/04/equity-language-guides-sierra-club-banned-words/673085/ 
(or https://archive.is/iPQ2D).
I'm almost concerned to open this can of worms, for reasons that 
are touched on in the article i'm sharing -- one takes a risk by 
asking questions about the Inclusivity™ orthodoxy.  I hasten to 
add that i am all for more diversity where often there 
isn't/wasn't much, for more equitable outcomes in society, 
etc. etc., because clearly, we (i can only speak for those places 
i have experienced living) are a very long way away from living in 
just society.  Having said all of that, i jokingly refer to 
Inclusive™ language since it seems to indeed be something co-opted 
by? invented by? pushed by? commercial entities to display their 
credentials, similar to how we might observe "greenwashing".
Like the author of the article, of course there are linguistic 
habits that are best relegated to history.  But more and more i'm 
observing New Inclusive English being suggested: people in my 
circles avoid talking about things like "brown-bag sessions" (a 
phrase i already disliked, but for other reasons - it's so 
American! [sorry, US-ian]).  Something that rubs me up the wrong 
way about a lot of these euphemisms is that their etymology (as 
far as i can tell) has no racist meaning - surely a brown-bag 
harks back to bringing one's lunch in a... brown paper bag?  It's 
almost as if, indeed, people have sat down to look for potentially 
offensive words.  Scraping the proverbial barrel of offence.
The thing is, though, i'm looking for something of a sense-check 
-- because i'd be sad if i'm being taken in by a right-wing rag 
(is it?), or by conservative agendas (is it?), etc.  Is this just 
me worrying about becoming apostate as the article describes, of 
being a "bad person", basically.  Because my upbringing makes me 
want to say the right things, rather than think too hard for 
myself.  I find the link with Protestant ethics, a spiral of 
purity, an interesting angle.  But i'm wondering if folks here 
have more nuanced things to say about the little article, or will 
i just be shooting fish in a barrel?
All the best, tell me i'm not a neocon,
p.
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