11. This New Species That Seeks a New Language: On Sexism in Language and Language Change

I remember being a teenager in the late eighties and early nineties when my mom embraced her feminist perspectives and taught me that I could accomplish anything I wanted. She explained the importance of using "chairperson" instead of "chairman," or "spokesperson" instead of "spokesman." I didn't see the true value in this lesson at the time, but as I became older, transitioning from junior high to high school, the differences in language became more apparent to me. I made a habit of using a gender neutral terms in place of a sexist one and stood behind my reasoning even when it wasn't a popular idea in my middle class conservative school. From these experiences I became more aware of myself as a contributing member to the feminist movement by standing up to the norm. I believe by continuing to participate in the subjugation of women through language, society is doing a disservice to generations of women to come.