A PROGRESSIVE'S STYLE GUIDE - HANNA THOMAS (SUMOFUS.ORG) ANNA HIRSCH (ACTIVISTEDITOR.COM) - AMAZON S3
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
A Progressive’s Style Guide Hanna Thomas (SumOfUs.org) Anna Hirsch (ActivistEditor.com)
Introduction
Toward Harnessing Language in Support of A Progressive’s Style Guide is explicitly multi-voiced and is created Introduction
Intersectionality and Cross-sector Power Building with the following commitments. 1) We combat discriminatory Central Principles
language. 2) We seek advice or more information when we’re
Language is a key ingredient1 in a winning theory of unsure. 3) When writing, speaking, or using images, we aim Issue Areas
change. Language can build bridges2 and change minds. By to use examples that reflect a broad range of identities and Age
acknowledging the ability of language to shape and reflect perspectives.
reality3, progressive campaigns can become more powerful Disability
vehicles for social change, inclusion, and justice. In fact, We understand that there may be negative blowback to this Economy
understanding and applying the authentic language of the work and that we won’t be the first8 to experience it. We affirm Environment/Science
individuals and communities with whom we work can be a that we are aligned with free speech9, and at the same time are
revolutionary act in itself. Food
promoting thoughtfulness and openness about how language is
and isn’t used10, has been used11, and could be used12 for people Gender/Sex
Historically, extensive, issue-based language guidelines have and for our planet collectively. Because language is dynamic, Geopolitics
remained siloed or proprietary. Some information has trickled changes with our struggles, and is shaped by criticism and the
up (with some questionable success4) to be centralized in the Health
collective construction of social justice, we are compelled to
establishment grammar and usage style guides (APA5, AP6, Housing/Space
keep building a collective language that liberates us all. As we
CMS7), but this information is far from comprehensive and lacks continue to think about ways to organize this information that Immigration/Refugees
the voice of the groups being discussed. At the same time, are accessible, user-friendly, clear, and aligned with progressives’ Indigeneity/Ancestry
transparent conversations about the power of word choice and beliefs and strategies, we know that in some instances we still fall
phrasing have remained disconnected and difficult to access. Police/Incarceration
short – and so, we also invite feedback. We are committed to this
work and to remaining in dialogue. Race/Ethnicity
In 2015, SumOfUs staff, led by Hanna Thomas, began the Sexual and
compilation of a new kind of guide – one that sparks a Many thanks for your help and solidarity! Domestic Violence
conversation about language among progressives. With the help
of Anna Hirsch, an independent editor, A Progressive’s Style Guide Appendix I: Images
was born. We invite drivers of progressive change – community Appendix II:
members, grassroots leaders, activists, and progressive funders – Additional Resources
to peruse the vital movement frameworks, decolonizing usage, Acknowledgements
and up-to-date word choice and phrasing for current theory of
change directions and momentum across groups and issue areas Endnotes
presented in this guide.
2 © 2016 Sum of Us
Central Principles
Introduction
People-First language Active Voice Central Principles
People-first language aims to make personhood the essential A grammatical voice in many languages, active voice puts the
Issue Areas
characteristic of every person. People-first language views other “actor” of the sentence in the role of performing the action. Often
descriptive social identities that people may hold as secondary lauded for contributing to more dynamic writing, active voice Age
and non-essential. Strict adherence to people-first language can may also be key to naming perpetrators of violence and harm Disability
lead to awkward sentence construction and may not align with directly. An opportunity to scan for active voice should be taken Economy
reclamations of social identities, but we maintain that attuning as an opportunity to root out implicit bias toward status quo
to our shared humanity by telling stories that center people systems of power by naming the actors of oppression, whether Environment/Science
first, rather than exploiting identities, should be an aim of human, institutional, or cultural. Food
progressive writing. Gender/Sex
Proper Nouns Geopolitics
Self-Identification Names used for and by individual places, persons, and Health
Wherever categorization and labels are used to oppress groups organizations convey respect, understanding, acceptance, and
Housing/Space
of people, self-identification becomes an act of resistance. At clarity. At the same time, common nouns and pronouns can
the same time, people who are robbed of opportunities to self- dilute an issue or simply create confusion. While conversational Immigration/Refugees
identify lose not just words that carry political power, but may tone is often well utilized in campaign writing, great care should Indigeneity/Ancestry
also lose aspects of their culture, agency, and spirit. Progressive be taken to avoid misleading readers. For example, overuse Police/Incarceration
writing, as much as possible, should strive to include language of words such as “it,” “that,” and “this” may leave the reader
wondering who the writer is talking about at a critical point in Race/Ethnicity
that reflects peoples’ choice and style in how they talk about
themselves. If you aren’t sure, ask. the story. Sexual and
Domestic Violence
Appendix I: Images
Appendix II:
Additional Resources
Acknowledgements
Endnotes
3 © 2016 Sum of Us
Age A
Resources Introduction
• Adam Fletcher, Discrimination Against Youth Voice13, The “In 350 BCE, Aristotle stated that children were the Central Principles
FreeChild Project, 2008. property of their father because he had produced them,
Issue Areas
• Adam Fletcher, Glossary14 not unlike a tooth or a hair. Millennia later, adultism is
• healthPROelderly, Evidence-based Guidelines on Health one of the stealthiest players in modern society, built Age A
Promotion for Older People: Social Determinants, Inequality into the foundations of family, community, culture, and Disability
and Sustainability, Glossary15. government . . . Adultist microagressions are so broadly Economy
• Marianne Falconer, Out with “the old,” elderly, and aged16, 2007. accepted as normal that I can easily recall 1) being
Environment/Science
enraged as a youth hearing them; but 2) repeating them
✎ Writing Guidelines as an adult without thinking twice.” Food
Gender/Sex
Anti-adultism framework Kel Kray, Everyday Adultism17,
Geopolitics
Adultism is a system of beliefs, attitudes, and actions – fueled Everyday Feminism Magazine
by institutional power – so pervasive that nearly everyone Health
experiences this form of oppression. Children’s rights Anti-ageism framework Housing/Space
movements early on centered around reforming unhealthy and Ageism is a system of beliefs, attitudes, and actions, fueled by
Immigration/Refugees
destructive child labor practices, but have come to encompass institutional power, that oppresses all people at all ages, but is
all forms of oppression that devalue and dehumanize young considered most detrimental for the physical health of our oldest Indigeneity/Ancestry
people. To include young people in society it is vital to use citizens18. Ageists view a person’s age number or chronological Police/Incarceration
language that views youth as contributors, that does not age as a marker of essential characteristics or type, leading to Race/Ethnicity
denigrate youth experiences, and that does not dismiss their stereotyping and suppressing the experience and true nature
Sexual and
ideas. It is appropriate to consider developmental stages, but of individuals. To ensure that people of all ages have a voice in
Domestic Violence
do not use a lack of knowledge about human development to society it is vital to reject a purely “age-number” framing of life
avoid involving young people. Perhaps the greatest injustice stage, to always use medical terminology accurately, and to use Appendix I: Images
young people face is being silenced, overlooked, and left out of narratives that support people of all ages building power. Appendix II:
progressive social justice work all together. Additional Resources
Acknowledgements
Endnotes
4 © 2016 Sum of Us
“Myth #5 ‘People over 65 have diseases and disorders Y ?
that limits their freedom to do what they want.’ Uh-uh.
In fact, a lot of oldsters are in better shape than their Terms used Terms avoided/questioned
grandkids. ‘My grandfather is 67, and he’s a personal by anti–adultism and by anti-adultism and
trainer at a well-known fitness center,’ Fields says. anti-ageism activists anti-ageism activists Introduction
(Note to selves: personal trainer could be a trending Central Principles
second-act career.)”
yy adolescent21 yy ancient Issue Areas
7 Myths About Old People19, Senior Planet (if describing the yy antiquated Age A
developmental stage of
yy childish Disability
adolescence: “adolescent
Specific Recommendations young people”) yy cougar Economy
• Most times there is no need to refer to a person’s age. When yy age apartheid22 yy dated Environment/Science
the need arises, list the specific age number, rather than yy ageing yy emerging adult26 Food
assigning a category that may be vague and create negative
yy elder abuse23 yy fossil
Gender/Sex
connotations. yy geezer
yy elderly person Geopolitics
• Whenever possible, ask the preferred terminology. yy older person24 yy geriatric (unless in the
phrase “geriatric medicine” Health
One person may prefer “senior,” while another person yy people over . . . or similar instances) Housing/Space
with the same age number may prefer “older adult.” yy people under . . . yy immature Immigration/Refugees
• Avoid using age-related terminology to describe a situation yy senior yy infirm Indigeneity/Ancestry
metaphorically, especially if the phrasing is meant as yy student (if context- yy medieval
appropriate) Police/Incarceration
an insult20 or is used flippantly. yy middle-aged27
yy teen/teenager/preteen Race/Ethnicity
• Do not use language that patronizes, sentimentalizes, distorts, yy old lady/man
yy transitional age youth25 Sexual and
or ignores people based on their age number. (legal definition in U.S.) yy over the hill Domestic Violence
yy young person yy senile (unless talking
• Avoid negative, value-laden terms that overextend the about the specific medical Appendix I: Images
limitations of a young person’s developmental stage or yy youth condition of senility) Appendix II:
the severity of an older person’s health. yy the aged Additional Resources
yy the elderly28 Acknowledgements
• Do not assume that someone who is older is living
with a disability. yy the old Endnotes
5 © 2016 Sum of Us
Disability D
Resources • Whenever possible, ask the preferred terminology. One person Introduction
with a visual disability may prefer “blind,” while another person Central Principles
• National Center on Disability and Journalism,
with a similar disability may prefer “person with low or limited
Disability Language Style Guide29.
loss of vision.” Issue Areas
• Research and Training Center on Independent Living,
Guidelines for reporting and writing about people with disabilities Age
• Avoid using disability and mental/emotional health
(7th Edition)30, University of Kansas, 2008. Disability D
terminology to describe a situation metaphorically, especially
if the phrasing is meant as an insult or is used flippantly. Economy
✎ Writing Guidelines Environment/Science
• Do not use language that villainizes, sentimentalizes, or
Anti-ableism framework Food
heroizes people with disabilities.
Structural ableism assumes that there is an ideal body and mind Gender/Sex
that is better than all others, and ableists build a world in which • Avoid stereotyping phrasing that equates “thin” or “able-
this ideal can thrive and others cannot. The disability and mental, Geopolitics
bodied” with health.
behavioral, and emotional health rights movements have fought Health
to demonstrate that the opposite is true – that all bodies have • Avoid negative or value-laden terms that overextend the Housing/Space
value, that all people should be treated with dignity and respect, severity of a disability. Immigration/Refugees
and that we can build a world that is beneficial to us all. In a
world built to shut people with physical, mental, and emotional • Remember that many chronic conditions and disabilities are Indigeneity/Ancestry
disabilities out, it is therefore paramount to use people-first invisible. Do not assume that because you do not know that Police/Incarceration
language, to reject a purely “medical” framing of disability, to someone is living with a disability that they are not. Race/Ethnicity
always use disability and mental health terminology accurately,
Sexual and
and to use narratives that support people with disabilities in Domestic Violence
“The medical model of disability views disability as a
building power, in part by understanding that disability and
‘problem’ that belongs to the disabled individual. It is
mental health discrimination is not just interpersonal, but also Appendix I: Images
not seen as an issue to concern anyone other than the
institutional and cultural. Appendix II:
individual affected. For example, if a wheelchair using
student is unable to get into a building because of some Additional Resources
Specific Recommendations steps, the medical model would suggest that this is Acknowledgements
• Most times there is no need to refer to a person’s disability, but because of the wheelchair, rather than the steps.”
Endnotes
when the need arises, choose acceptable terminology for the
specific disability or use the term preferred by the individual. University of Leicester31
6 © 2016 Sum of UsY ?
Terms used by disability Terms avoided/questioned by
rights activists disability rights activists
Introduction
Central Principles
yy cognitive disability yy partial hearing loss, yy a mute yy handi-capable yy slow
yy deaf partially deaf yy ability35 yy handicapped yy speech-impaired Issue Areas
yy Deaf culture yy people without yy able-bodied yy hearing-impaired yy suffering from . . . Age
disabilities
yy disability32 yy addict36 yy idiot yy temporarily able- Disability D
yy disabled person yy person who has . . . yy invalid bodied 39
(schizophrenia, etc.)
yy afflicted by Economy
yy emotional disability yy alcoholic yy lame (never use to yy the blind Environment/Science
yy person who is . . . (blind, refer to a person) yy the deaf
yy fat-shaming33 etc.) yy closed ears Food
yy hard of hearing yy crazy yy loony yy the disabled
yy person with . . . Gender/Sex
yy learning disability (muscular dystrophy, yy crippled by yy maniac yy victim of . . .
Geopolitics
yy limited vision, low vision, etc.) yy deaf ears yy mentally yy vision-impaired
handicapped yy wheelchair- Health
partially-sighted yy physical disability yy dialogue of the
yy neuroatypical yy PWDs (people with deaf37 yy mongoloid bound40, confined Housing/Space
yy neurodivergent disabilities) yy differently abled yy nut, nut job, nutter, to a wheelchair, in a Immigration/Refugees
nutso wheelchair
yy non-disabled, yy substance use34 yy disAbled, Indigeneity/Ancestry
nondisabled yy uses a wheelchair (dis)abled, yy patient
Police/Incarceration
yy non-visible disability dis/abled yy psycho
Race/Ethnicity
yy on the autism spectrum yy divyang38 yy retarded
Sexual and
yy dumb yy schizo Domestic Violence
yy dwarf, midget, yy schizophrenic
vertically (never use to mean Appendix I: Images
challenged “of two minds”) Appendix II:
Additional Resources
Acknowledgements
Endnotes
7 © 2016 Sum of UsEconomy E
Resources that is conscious of how we over-rely on capitalist metaphors45 Introduction
to describe human stories46 and stories about nature47, and that Central Principles
• Center for Economic and Social Justice, Just Third Way
embraces the words and names of the people whose causes
Glossary41, 2013.
we are supporting. At the same time, holding an equity stance, Issue Areas
• Chronic Poverty Research Center, Appendix A: Glossary
as well as a pro-labor stance, can also help combat corporate Age
of Terms42, 2004–2005.
power and bring consumers, workers, and shareholders onto the
• David Morris, Words Matter: What the Language We Use Disability
same page.
Tells Us About Our Current Political Landscape (In politics, Economy E
definitions change.)43, 24 August 2015.
Specific Recommendations Environment/Science
• Global Sociology, Glossary44.
• Include titles, credentials, and positions held only when they Food
✎ Writing Guidelines are germane to the story. Gender/Sex
Anti-classist framework Geopolitics
• If someone’s social circumstances are relevant to the story, be
Classism is a system of beliefs, attitudes, and actions – fueled specific: “Homeowners at risk of foreclosure.” Health
by institutional power – that advantages and strengthens the Housing/Space
dominant class groups through differential treatment and the • While people who work in the home may not have a Immigration/Refugees
assignment of worth and ability based on economic status contractual employer, rather than equating employment with
or perceived social class. Economic justice activists have long work and saying “they don’t work,” reference the work they Indigeneity/Ancestry
advocated that class underpins many other social injustices contribute in the home. Police/Incarceration
and that classism is already deeply ingrained in the primacy Race/Ethnicity
of a few language systems – including English – over the rest. • Understand the difference between historically legal terms,
such as “minimum wage48” or “basic wage49,” and descriptive, Sexual and
Not assuming that a document will be produced in only one Domestic Violence
language may already be anti-classist act. At the same time, advocacy terms, such as “living wage50” and “fair wage51,” and
because everyone deserves the opportunity to build a material also how usage can change52. Appendix I: Images
foundation toward dignity, productivity, and creativity, we Appendix II:
should assume that all people have hopes and dreams not • Understand the difference between53 “income inequality,” “pay
Additional Resources
determined by their assigned social class. As such, wherever inequality,” and “wealth inequality,” and be precise.
Acknowledgements
possible use language that avoids replicating class stereotypes,
Endnotes
8 © 2016 Sum of Us“The range of problems raised by diversity of languages Y ? Introduction
in international economic and political integration
processes calls upon innovative, efficient and fair Terms used Terms avoided/ Central Principles
language policies to manage multilingualism. by economic questioned by economic
justice activists justice activists Issue Areas
Language policies are increasingly acknowledged as
being a necessary component of many decisions taken Age
in the areas of labour mobility, access to knowledge and Disability
higher education, social inclusion of migrants, and they
yy caste apartheid55 yy at-risk58
yy economic opportunity Economy E
can affect companies’ international competitiveness and yy basic59
the democratic control of international organisations.” yy equity yy classy60 Environment/Science
yy financial stability yy culture of poverty61 Food
Economics, Linguistic Justice, and Language
yy giving families the tools yy disadvantaged Gender/Sex
Policy Symposium54 they need yy economic mobility62 Geopolitics
yy global stratification56 yy financial security63 Health
yy low-income (as an yy giving families the Housing/Space
adjective) resources they need64 Immigration/Refugees
yy people experiencing yy in need, the needy65
material poverty Indigeneity/Ancestry
yy lazy
yy persons experiencing Police/Incarceration
homelessness or illness yy less fortunate
Race/Ethnicity
yy racial equity57 yy professionalism66
Sexual and
yy strengthening families yy supporting families67 Domestic Violence
yy the poor
Appendix I: Images
yy unskilled labor68
Appendix II:
yy work ethic
Additional Resources
Acknowledgements
Endnotes
9 © 2016 Sum of UsEnvironment/Science E/S
Resources Introduction
• David Roberts, How to write about climate: Pull up a barstool69, “Environmental justice terminology can push Central Principles
Grist.org, 2013. sustainability studies to examine more detailed
Issue Areas
• Greenpeace, Glossary70, 2014. data rather than average characteristics of present
• Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Glossary of populations and future possibilities. Thus, environmental Age
Environmental Terms71. justice’s emphasis on the present may help raise support Disability
• United Nations Environment Programme, Glossary of terms72 for sustainability initiatives, especially among people Economy
focused on daily quality of life.”
Environment/Science E/S
✎ Writing Guidelines
Sarah E. Fredericks, Measuring and Evaluating Food
Sustainability, data-driven framework Sustainability: Ethics in Sustainability Indexes. Gender/Sex
The belief that we are responsible for the long-term and Climate Outreach and Information Network73
immediate health of the planet has been gaining widespread Geopolitics
acceptance over the past several decades – but creating and Specific Recommendations Health
implementing smart policy that meets the requirements for Housing/Space
• Know the science and be precise with terminology.
sustainable human growth and life and that is simultaneously
Immigration/Refugees
data-driven has continued to be a huge challenge in direct • Know the audience and consider using language that will
proportion to the intense and dominating anti-environment and Indigeneity/Ancestry
bring that audience along.
anti-science narratives in the news and other media. We need to Police/Incarceration
be explicit about how language in particular continues to bog • Understand that “climate change” and “global warming” have Race/Ethnicity
down environmental justice movement work and to do an even been in the public domain for a long time and it may be hard Sexual and
better job at empathically and empirically telling the true story of to avoid using these terms. Domestic Violence
what we already know about the wellbeing of our shared planet.
• As needed, reframe the discussion in terms of direct impacts Appendix I: Images
on people’s lives, livelihoods, and communities. Appendix II:
Additional Resources
Acknowledgements
Endnotes
10 © 2016 Sum of UsY ?
Terms used by environmental Terms avoided/questioned by
justice activists environmental justice activists
Introduction
Central Principles
yy alternative energy yy climate change doubter79
yy biodiversity yy climate refugee80 Issue Areas
yy carbon footprint74 yy eco-fascist, eco-nazi, eco-terrorist Age
yy climate action yy greenie81 Disability
yy climate action plan75 yy tree hugger, tree hugging82 Economy
yy climate change Environment/Science E/S
yy climate change denier/skeptic76 Food
yy climate chaos Gender/Sex
yy climate instability
Geopolitics
yy climate weird-ing
Health
yy global warming
yy greenhouse effect Housing/Space
yy greenhouse gas Immigration/Refugees
yy innovation Indigeneity/Ancestry
yy our deteriorating atmosphere Police/Incarceration
yy permaculture77 Race/Ethnicity
yy pseudoscience78 Sexual and
Domestic Violence
Appendix I: Images
Appendix II:
Additional Resources
Acknowledgements
Endnotes
11 © 2016 Sum of UsFood F
Resources • Focus on the stories of local people and people trying to gain, Introduction
regain, and retain sovereignty and access to food. There is Central Principles
• Growing Food & Justice for All Initiative, Glossary83, 2015.
often an opportunity to tell the stories of people, and we can
• Oakland Food Policy Council, Glossary of Terms84, 2015.
do a better job of not missing them or letting our focus stay Issue Areas
• Smita Narula, How to Talk About Food And Why It Matters85,
elsewhere on abstractions or concepts. Age
8 April 2015.
• World Food Programme, Hunger Glossary86, 2016. Disability
• Use language that is accurate (“SNAP,” not “food stamps88,” in
• World Health Organization, Food Security87, 2016. the U.S.), but don’t miss opportunities to also be descriptive Economy
(“safety net program89”) of the reality. Environment/Science
✎ Writing Guidelines
Food F
Food sovereignty and access framework “The term food sovereignty was first coined by members Gender/Sex
Food justice activists understand that today’s food systems are of Via Campesina in 1996 to refer to a policy framework
fraught with inequities, from hazardous, low-pay conditions for Geopolitics
advocated by a number of farmers, peasants, pastoralists,
farmers, to a predominance of fast food in many schools and fisherfolk, Indigenous Peoples, women, rural youth Health
neighborhoods, especially in areas with less wealth. Because of and environmental organizations, namely the claimed Housing/Space
this, they seek to create more equity in our food systems, but also ‘right of peoples to define their own food, agriculture, Immigration/Refugees
to change how we view food and our disconnection from food livestock and fisheries systems,’ in contrast to having
culturally. Language that makes ownership and consumption Indigeneity/Ancestry
food largely subject to international market forces.”
tangible, that foregrounds the basic right to quality food, and Police/Incarceration
that clearly connects food injustice to other confounding issues, India, Food sovereignty in Manipur,90 La Via Campesina Race/Ethnicity
such as race and class, are necessary to positively change today’s
Sexual and
food systems. Domestic Violence
Specific Recommendations Appendix I: Images
• While much of the language around food is not pejorative, Appendix II:
it is important to consider terms carefully for their historical, Additional Resources
scientific, and political meanings before using them. Words Acknowledgements
like hunger and famine are sometimes used casually with Endnotes
potentially mixed or even damaging effect.
12 © 2016 Sum of UsY ?
Terms used by food Terms avoided/questioned
justice activists by food justice activists
Introduction
Central Principles
yy a malnourished person91 yy famine100
Issue Areas
yy an undernourished person yy food desert101
yy daily undernourishment Age
yy food stamps
yy day laborer92 yy natural102 (labeling on food) Disability
yy farm to table yy the hungry Economy
yy farmer Environment/Science
yy food poverty93 Food F
yy food security94 Gender/Sex
yy food insecurity Geopolitics
yy food and nutrition security95 Health
yy food sovereignty96 Housing/Space
yy hunger 97 Immigration/Refugees
yy safety net program Indigeneity/Ancestry
yy seed to table
Police/Incarceration
yy slow food98
Race/Ethnicity
yy starvation
Sexual and
yy worker welfare99 Domestic Violence
Appendix I: Images
Appendix II:
Additional Resources
Acknowledgements
Endnotes
13 © 2016 Sum of UsGender/Sex G/S
Resources language that is preferred by the people being talked about. Introduction
Second, assume complexity and uniqueness and strive to Central Principles
• Barnaby B. Barratt, Why Sexual Freedom is a Fundamental
represent people’s complete lives instead of reducing people
Human Right103, 2010.
to aspects of who they are, a practice that is often sparked by Issue Areas
• Claire Ainsworth, Sex Redefined: The Idea of Two Sexes is
stigma and shame. Finally, use language that avoids replicating Age
Simplistic. Biologists Now Think There Is a Wider Spectrum
gender stereotypes, that resists the hegemony of binaries
Than That104, 18 February 2015. Disability
and strict categories, and that embraces and uplifts human
• Debby Herbenick, PhD, and Aleta Baldwin, What Each of Economy
experience over science, law, or cultural norms.
Facebook’s 51 New Gender Options Means105, 15 February 2014.
Environment/Science
• Full Marriage Equality, Glossary106.
• GLAAD Media Reference Guide – Transgender Issues107, 2016. “A Nelson queer youth activist says they finally feel Food
• It’s Pronounced Metrosexual, Comprehensive* List of LGBTQ+ visible after Statistics New Zealand has announced a Gender/Sex G/S
Term Definitions108, 2013. new gender category. ‘Gender diverse’ will join ‘male’ Geopolitics
• Multiamory, Poly Glossary109. and ‘female’ categories in a new gender-identity
• Not Your Mother’s Playground, Sexuality Glossary110. Health
classification released on Friday by Statistics New
• Suzannah Weiss, 5 Ways that Science Supports Feminism – Zealand. This new classification records the identity of all Housing/Space
Not Gender Essentialism111, 25 August 2015. people, including those who see themselves as different Immigration/Refugees
from male or female, and will form an integral part of
Indigeneity/Ancestry
✎ Writing Guidelines the Statistical Standard for Gender Identity, to be used by
government organisations.” Police/Incarceration
Feminist framework Race/Ethnicity
Along with the important work of combatting sexism – a system Stacey Knott, New diverse gender category ‘affirming’ Sexual and
of beliefs, attitudes, and actions, fueled by institutional power, for local activist112 Domestic Violence
that targets people based on supposed naturalistic categories of
biological sex – feminism has simultaneously unearthed myriad Appendix I: Images
new understandings of human experience, including a range Specific Recommendations
Appendix II:
of gender identities and expressions; multiple axes of physical, • Despite their being problematic, be aware that binary gender Additional Resources
emotional, and spiritual attraction; an alphabet of sexual and sex terms are still important descriptors in anti-sexism work.
Acknowledgements
orientations; and virulent, grassroots demand for sexual freedom.
In response, feminists have generated considerable content • Biologists may now be striving to describe physiological sex as Endnotes
to answer the question of how we should speak and write in non-binary, but society is still largely unaware of this trend and
these new contexts – but a few basic approaches can help right may need ongoing reminders.
away. First, self-identifying is crucial, so whenever possible use 14 © 2016 Sum of Us• There are more than two genders, and it is always ok to note this. read his packet carefully.”; “Invite your spouse or partner,” not
“Invite your boyfriend or husband.”
• There are also more than two sexes, and it is always ok to note this.
• Generally, it is not necessary to specify the gender of a
• They113 is a good alternative114 if you aren’t sure of the person in a particular role, as most occupations are not Introduction
person’s pronoun. gender defined. Avoid terms that show gender biases in the
Central Principles
profession: cleaner, police officer, chair, not cleaning lady,
• Always use a transgender person’s chosen name. It is policeman, chairman. Adding “male” before “nurse” or “lady” Issue Areas
never appropriate to put quotation marks around either before “doctor” is almost always unnecessary.
a transgender person’s chosen name or the pronoun that Age
reflects that person’s gender identity. It is usually best to • Use parallel terms or terms of equal status and avoid terms Disability
report on transgender people’s stories from the present day that denote gender inferiority: “husband and wife, staff in the Economy
instead of narrating them from some point or multiple points office,” not “man and wife, girls in the office.”
Environment/Science
in the past.
• Do not gratuitously describe a woman as a “mother of three.” Food
• Be wary of scientific nomenclature, which is also influenced Family details and marital status are only relevant in stories Gender/Sex G/S
by culture and often perpetuates stereotyped thinking. At the about families or marriage.
Geopolitics
same time, scientific studies can also be baked with prejudice
at a structural level, and so even a study written according to • When reporting on women and men who work in the sex Health
inclusive guidelines can still reproduce biased language and industry, identify them as individuals first, not by the way they Housing/Space
biased frames. earn money. Immigration/Refugees
• Be wary of language that suggests “innateness” of • Do not assume heterosexual orientation. Where appropriate, Indigeneity/Ancestry
characteristics, especially language that pulls for essentialism use examples of same-sex partners and families, and Police/Incarceration
of gender or sex. LGBQQTIA2-S (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, questioning, Race/Ethnicity
transgender, intersex, asexual, two-spirit) people’s lives and
• Be aware that using language that is motivated by trying to experiences. Sexual and
make others “fit in” can backfire, leaving folks feeling like they Domestic Violence
have to conform. • Avoid defaulting to umbrella terms like gay or homosexual. Appendix I: Images
Use LGBTQ to refer to a broad community or be specific when
• Do not repeat fear stories related to sex that promotes a Appendix II:
relevant: lesbian, gay man, bisexual woman, etc.
culture of stigma. Additional Resources
• Be mindful of appropriate and respectful in-group versus out- Acknowledgements
• If a gender-neutral term is available and does not change the group naming. Queer is an acceptable in-group term but it is Endnotes
meaning, consider using it. Often this means just pluralizing often better to refer to queer communities rather than calling
the antecedent to avoid use of singular pronouns: “Employees an individual queer unless they have already told you this is
should read their packets carefully,” not “Each employee should how they identify. 15 © 2016 Sum of Us• When referring to the broader
community, queer (as in queer Y ?
people) or LGBTQ (as in LGBTQ
Terms used by sex and gender identity Terms avoided/questioned by sex and
people) is appropriate – gay, justice activists gender identity justice activists
however, is not. LGBTQ is only Introduction
appropriate when referring Central Principles
to the broader community or yy a transgender person yy Mx.127 yy bathroom bill yy sexual
groups of people, not when yy agender115 yy non-binary yy be a man, man preference143, Issue Areas
referring to individuals. up136 sexual Age
yy bigender yy non-cisgender128,
preference144
• Same-sex marriage is shorthand yy crossdresser (if this is cisgender129 yy berdache137 Disability
how the person self- yy non-discrimination yy feminazi138 yy she-male,
that should be used only when shemale145 Economy
needed for clarity or for space identifies, but not as law, ordinance yy Gender Identity
yy shim Environment/Science
purposes (such as, in headlines). a catchall116) yy non-gendered Disorder (GID)
yy gay117 (offensive yy trannie, tranny Food
Generally, in text, it is more yy sex work130
accurate to refer to “same-sex yy Gender Affirmation yy sex worker131 because it yy trans*146 Gender/Sex G/S
couples’ marriage rights” or Sex Reassignment labels people as yy a transgender Geopolitics
yy sexual orientation “disordered”)
something similar. Surgery, gender yy transgender Health
confirmation surgery yy slut, slut-shaming132 yy gender-bender 139 (noun)
• Don’t use slut-shaming (if this is how a Housing/Space
yy genderfluid118 person or group
yy he-she yy transgendered
language; note that slut is not Immigration/Refugees
yy genderfuck119 self-identifies) yy hermaphrodite (adj.)147
automatically a negative word. Indigeneity/Ancestry
yy genderless yy they, them, their133 yy homosexual yy transgenders
yy genderqueer120 yy it yy transsexual148, Police/Incarceration
yy third gender134
yy gray-A121 yy trans woman, trans yy lifestyle choice transexual (unless Race/Ethnicity
yy mankind this is how the Sexual and
yy hen122 man
person self-
yy non-straight140 Domestic Violence
yy hijra123 yy transgender (adj.)135 identifies)
yy humankind, yy transgender people yy pre-operative, yy transvestite Appendix I: Images
humanity yy transition, post-operative (unless this is Appendix II:
yy intersex124 transitioning yy prostitute141, how the person Additional Resources
yy kathoey125 yy two-spirit whore142 self-identifies) Acknowledgements
yy muxe126 yy sex change, sex yy walk of shame149
change operation Endnotes
16 © 2016 Sum of UsGeopolitics G
Resources • But bear in mind that Colonel Gaddafi renamed Libya “The Great Introduction
Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriyya” and so there are some Central Principles
• Jack David Eller, Student resources: Glossary150,
exceptions that should not follow the previous guideline.
Cultural Anthropology: Global Forces, Local Lives, 2009.
Issue Areas
• Transnational Institute, Mission: Values151, 2015.
Age
“Like many things, ‘first world problems’ has a different
✎ Writing Guidelines Disability
force depending on whether you are applying it to yourself
Global community framework or throwing it in someone else’s face. If, at the end of an irate Economy
Mutuality and respect, as well as curiosity and cultural exchange, tirade about how my Kenyan coffee beans were over-roasted Environment/Science
are the hallmarks of a vibrant global community in this framework. by the artisanal torréfacteur, I append the phrase ‘first world
Food
Language that seeks to understand, share goodwill, and fight problem’ with some wry rearrangement of my face muscles, I
global injustice will be from the perspective of local people signal that I know this is just one of the minor frustrations of a Gender/Sex
with thoughtfulness about transnational networks fighting very fortunate life. To pre-emptively concede that my problem Geopolitics G
international, interconnected issues that harm people broadly. is just a first world one is to ostentatiously check my privilege Health
before anyone else tells me to do so. At the same time, I
Specific Recommendations remind myself and everyone in earshot that we are indeed Housing/Space
• Style for foreign placenames evolves with common usage. living in the ‘first world.’ So it is also a humblebrag.” Immigration/Refugees
Leghorn has become Livorno, and maybe one day München Indigeneity/Ancestry
will supplant Munich, but not yet. Many names have become Steven Poole, Why the phrase ‘first world problem’
is condescending to everyone,152 The Guardian Police/Incarceration
part of the English language: Geneva is the English name for
Race/Ethnicity
the city that Switzerland’s French speakers refer to as Genève
and its German speakers call Genf. Accordingly, opt for locally Sexual and
used names, with some main exceptions (this list is not Domestic Violence
exhaustive; apply common sense): Andalusia, Archangel, Basel, Appendix I: Images
Berne, Brittany, Catalonia, Cologne, Dunkirk, Florence, Fribourg,
Appendix II:
Genoa, Gothenburg, Hanover, Kiev, Lombardy, Milan, Munich,
Additional Resources
Naples, Normandy, Nuremberg, Padua, Piedmont, Rome,
Sardinia, Seville, Sicily, Syracuse, Turin, Tuscany, Venice, Zurich. Acknowledgements
Endnotes
17 © 2016 Sum of UsY ?
Terms used by global Terms avoided/questioned Introduction
justice activists by global justice activists
Central Principles
yy West Bank/separation/security barrier yy Jerusalem should not be referred to as Issue Areas
(when referred to in its totality; “fence” the capital of Israel; it is not recognised Age
or “wall” may be ok when referring to as such by the international community Disability
specific segments) yy second world Economy
yy Palestinians, Palestine is best used for yy third world155
the occupied territories (the West Bank Environment/Science
yy war on terror156
and Gaza); if referring to the whole area, Food
including Israel, use "historic Palestine" Gender/Sex
yy fat country / lean country153 Geopolitics G
yy global south / global north154 Health
Housing/Space
Immigration/Refugees
Indigeneity/Ancestry
Police/Incarceration
Race/Ethnicity
Sexual and
Domestic Violence
Appendix I: Images
Appendix II:
Additional Resources
Acknowledgements
Endnotes
18 © 2016 Sum of UsHealth H
Resources Introduction
• European Portal for Action on Health Inequalities, Glossary157. “Last week, I logged on to The New York Times to read its Central Principles
• International Planned Parenthood Federation, Glossary158, 2013. piece about right-wing women who are improbably eager
Issue Areas
• Kawachi, I., Subramanian, S. V., & Almeida-Filho, N. (2002) A for their party to get more aggressive in the battle against
glossary for health inequalities159, Journal of Epidemiology & reproductive liberty and nearly spit out my seltzer. Age
Community Health (56): pp. 647–652. The line that did me in was from Republican pollster Disability
• Think Progress, The language of healthcare 2009: The 10 rules Kellyanne Conway, quoted as urging conservative Economy
for stopping the ‘Washington Takeover’ of healthcare160, 2009. candidates to push back against Democrats who use the Environment/Science
• World Health Organization, Health Impact Assessment (HIA): term “women’s health” in reference to contraception or
Glossary of terms used161. Food
abortion. “Women’s health issues,” Conway averred, “are
osteoporosis or breast cancer or seniors living alone who Gender/Sex
✎ Writing Guidelines don’t have enough money for health care.” Geopolitics
Human rights framework I’ve gotten downright inured to Republican men making Health H
The World Health Organization defines “the highest attainable gaffes about "legitimate rape" and female bodies that Housing/Space
standard of health” as a “fundamental right of every human have "ways to shut that whole thing down," but here was
Immigration/Refugees
being.” This approach to health centers people and access, not a Republican woman blithely asserting that procedures
status and cost, and demands a public discourse that speaks like the one I had undergone just that morning – in Indigeneity/Ancestry
to the universal, interdependent, and personal experience of which a doctor pushed a very long needle through Police/Incarceration
health and healthcare systems. Peoples first language, as well as my abdominal muscles, into my uterus, and into the Race/Ethnicity
language that supports dignity and a broad understanding of amniotic sac surrounding the future kid I hope to carry
Sexual and
health factors – food, housing, a healthy environment, etc. – are to term – did not qualify as part of "women's health.” Domestic Violence
needed. Because “vulnerable and marginalized groups in society
tend to bear undue proportion of health problems” (and health Don’t Let Republicans Erase Vaginas Appendix I: Images
injustices), careful attention should be paid to ensuring that from Women’s Health162 Appendix II:
all people have an active voice in how they define their own Additional Resources
healthcare and health outcomes.
Acknowledgements
Endnotes
19 © 2016 Sum of Us Specific Recommendations
Y ?
• Consider whether terms and phrasing are crass, inaccurate, or
may reinforce stigma, implying helplessness or inviting pity Terms used by Terms avoided/questioned Introduction
(AIDS victim) and take the time to re-word or frame the issue health care by health care rights
rights activists activists Central Principles
with adequate context to go against those patterns.
Issue Areas
• Keep in mind that the medical, pharmaceutical, and insurance Age
industries are biased and that bias from professionals yy abortion rights advocate yy AIDS victim
and organizations in these fields impact the language yy AIDS (acquired immune yy full-blown AIDS Disability
of institutionally defined “health outcomes.” Careful deficiency syndrome) yy pro-choice163 Economy
consideration of these biases can be supported by even yy anti-abortion yy pro-life Environment/Science
minimal consultation with people who actually experience a yy people living with AIDS yy suffering from AIDS Food
given health issue. yy people with AIDS
Gender/Sex
• Avoid stereotyping phrasing that equates “thin” or “able- yy pro-abortion rights
Geopolitics
bodied” with health. yy pro-voice
Health H
Housing/Space
Immigration/Refugees
Indigeneity/Ancestry
Police/Incarceration
Race/Ethnicity
Sexual and
Domestic Violence
Appendix I: Images
Appendix II:
Additional Resources
Acknowledgements
Endnotes
20 © 2016 Sum of UsHousing/Space H/S
Resources • Avoid stereotyping phrasing that equates “sin” or “sickness” Introduction
with homelessness, and at the same time, don’t shy away from Central Principles
• Here to Help, Housing glossary164, 2007.
language around mental or physical health if it is germane to
• Housing Development Consortium, Glossary15.
a story about housing. Issue Areas
• Institute of Global Homelessness, A global framework for
understanding homelessness166, September 2015. Age
• National Economic & Social Rights Institute, What is the “San Francisco represents a particularly important Disability
human right to housing?167 case of the criminalization of homelessness. Even in
Economy
• Susie Cagle, Homes for the homeless168, Aeon Magazine, 28 liberal San Francisco, the social construction of
homelessness as bad behavior became powerful Environment/Science
August 2015.
enough to propel large-scale police campaigns against Food
✎ Writing Guidelines nuisance offenses, repeated attempts to abolish general Gender/Sex
assistance, and numerous other programs aimed at
Human rights framework pushing the ‘visible poor’ back into invisibility.” Geopolitics
The United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights Health
defines housing as part of “the right to a standard of living Teresa Gowan, Steering city’s homeless focus from sin Housing/Space H/S
adequate for the health and wellbeing of himself and his family.” to sickness169, San Francisco Public Press
This approach centers people and access, not status and cost, Immigration/Refugees
and demands a public discourse that speaks to the universal, Indigeneity/Ancestry
interdependent, and personal experience of housing. People- Y ?
Police/Incarceration
first language, as well as language that supports dignity and a Terms used by housing Terms avoided/questioned
broad understanding of housing and spatial injustice – housing Race/Ethnicity
rights activists by housing rights activists
discrimination, unaffordability, foreclosure and eviction, Sexual and
homelessness, etc. – are needed. Careful attention should be Domestic Violence
yy favela170 yy bum175
paid to ensuring that all people have an active voice in how they Appendix I: Images
define their own housing situation. yy ghetto (historical and current yy gentrification176
usages that illuminate injustices yy ghetto (as an adjective177 Appendix II:
Specific Recommendations 171
or belong to one’s identity172) or in the context of hipster Additional Resources
• Consider whether terms and phrasing are crass, inaccurate, yy green the ghetto173 racism178) Acknowledgements
or may reinforce stigma, implying criminalization or invoking yy homeless person yy the homeless Endnotes
fear (bum, indigent, vagrant, beggar) and take the time to yy housing first yy transient
re-word or frame the issue with adequate context to go yy slum (as self-definition174)
against those patterns. yy workforce housing 21 © 2016 Sum of UsImmigration/Refugees I/R
Resources Specific Recommendations Introduction
• Immigrant Justice Network, Common terms defined179. • Avoid focusing on groups of immigrants or refugees in a way Central Principles
• Immigration Equality, Glossary of terms180, 2015. that misses the individuals that make up those groups.
Issue Areas
• United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
Creating an inclusive society: Practical strategies to promote • Presume innocence. Age
social integration181, 2009. Disability
• By definition, a person is never illegal; an “illegal immigrant”
Economy
makes as much a sense as saying an “illegal accountant,” were
✎ Writing Guidelines Environment/Science
they accused of tax fraud.
Inclusive society framework Food
By definition state borders mark which people are in and • An asylum seeker can become an undocumented immigrant
Gender/Sex
which people are out. All too often, our current global system only if he or she remains after having failed to respond to a
of nations enforces immigration and asylum laws based on removal notice. Geopolitics
those borders and an us-verses-them ethos when determining Health
• Young undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as
who will have access to civil rights. While immigration and Housing/Space
children are referred to as DREAMers (retaining capitalization
refugee issues have been tied to civil rights in this way, there
of the DREAM Act). Immigration/Refugees I/R
are compelling arguments182 for why crossing a border should
also be framed as a human rights issue. Not only are immigrants Indigeneity/Ancestry
• Use the word “immigrant” with great care, not only because it
and refugees vulnerable to increased human rights abuses, Police/Incarceration
is often incorrectly used to describe people who were born
additionally, the language of international human rights law may Race/Ethnicity
in the reported country, but also because it has been used
be a powerful tool for diagnosing such abuses. However, taking
negatively for so many years. Sexual and
the immigration and refugee frame a step beyond, by aiming Domestic Violence
for an inclusive society183 frame, may describe the antidote to
state-driven mistreatment. Language that raises visibility of Appendix I: Images
personal stories, creates empathy and recognizes diverse assets, Appendix II:
promotes cross-cultural interactions, fights discrimination, and Additional Resources
offers respect and an invitation to participate breaks down us-
Acknowledgements
versus-them thinking and avoids succumbing to the quagmire
of individual sovereignties’ policy debates. Endnotes
22 © 2016 Sum of Us“One of the first things any journalist learns is that when Y ?
you’re reporting on someone accused of a crime, you
always use ‘alleged’ to indicate that the accused has not Terms used Terms avoided/
been convicted and could very well be innocent. Until a by immigrants questioned by immigrants Introduction
court pronounces guilt, it’s the ‘alleged’ bank robber, the rights activists rights activists
Central Principles
‘alleged’ jaywalker and the ‘alleged” candy-snatcher. And
yet, whenever immigration issues make it into the news, Issue Areas
journalists and media organizations regularly use the yy asylee yy alien186
Age
phrase ‘illegal immigrant’ or ‘illegal alien’ to describe yy asylum seeker yy an illegal
undocumented immigrants, skipping not just the trial yy children of immigrants yy anchor baby187 Disability
but branding the person as criminality itself.” yy family yy ex-pat188 Economy
yy foreign national yy failed asylum seeker Environment/Science
Gabriel Arana, CNN, NYT asked to drop ‘illegal
immigrant’ ahead of debate,184 The Huffington Post yy person yy illegal alien Food
yy person seeking yy illegal asylum seeker189 Gender/Sex
citizenship yy illegal immigrant Geopolitics
yy person with citizenship yy legal alien Health
in . . .
yy legal citizen Housing/Space
yy refugee
yy legal resident Immigration/Refugees
yy refused asylum seeker I/R
yy legalized
yy stateless person185 Indigeneity/Ancestry
yy migrant190 (when used too
yy undocumented casually to refer to refugees; Police/Incarceration
immigrant however, migration Race/Ethnicity
has been effective in Sexual and
Favianna Rodriquez’s art Domestic Violence
campaign191)
Appendix I: Images
yy natural, naturalized (except
when used in the legal Appendix II:
sense of U.S. immigration Additional Resources
law) Acknowledgements
yy resident alien Endnotes
yy second-generation
23 © 2016 Sum of UsIndigeneity/Ancestry I/A
Resources ✎ Writing Guidelines Introduction
• Jeff Corntassel, Re-envisioning resurgence: Indigenous Decolonization and resurgence framework Central Principles
pathways to decolonization and sustainable self- To this day, centuries-old global colonization continues to Issue Areas
determination192, Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & destroy Indigenous homelands, cultures, and communities.
Society, Vol. 1, pp. 86–101, 2012. Age
Decolonization and resurgence movements, however, have
• Reporting in Indigenous communities193. demonstrated the power to create “everyday practices of Disability
• SABAR (Strategic Alliance of Broadcasters for Aboriginal renewal and responsibility” for Indigenous peoples, reclaiming Economy
Reflection), Key terms.194 personal and group histories, as well as opening the door to self- Environment/Science
• United Nations, Global issues: Decolonization195. determined futures. Therefore, language that recognizes a history
of pillage and violence by centering the experiences and stories Food
of those whose families have been most affected by colonization Gender/Sex
“Decolonization doesn’t have a synonym; it is not a for generations and supports all Indigenous peoples in building Geopolitics
substitute for ‘human rights’ or ‘social justice,’ though power is vital.
undoubtedly they are connected in various ways. Health
Decolonization demands an Indigenous framework Specific Recommendations Housing/Space
and a centering of Indigenous land, Indigenous Immigration/Refugees
• “Indigenous” is internationally inclusive for all Indigenous
sovereignty, and Indigenous ways of thinking. Too
peoples. Indigeneity/Ancestry I/A
often, decolonization becomes bastardized, sidelined,
or simply misunderstood – in creating a space such as Police/Incarceration
• Whenever possible, use a specific name (e.g., Cherokee and
Decolonization, there is the chance to ‘write back’ against Inuit). If you are not aware of the preferred name, whenever Race/Ethnicity
these trends, to engage and oppose colonialism, as well possible, ask. Sexual and
as to connect and support Indigeneity globally.” Domestic Violence
• Capitalize the proper names of tribes, nationalities,
Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang, and peoples: Appendix I: Images
Decolonization Is Not a Metaphor196 Appendix II:
ūū Full list of tribes and languages in USA197
Additional Resources
ūū Full list of tribes and languages in Canada198 Acknowledgements
Endnotes
24 © 2016 Sum of UsYou can also read
