Thanks be to the benevolent media tycoons, who have decided it’s once again OK to refer to women as women.
The Associated Press Stylebook, widely used by most media outlets in the country, updated its guidance this week to say it is “acceptable” to use the phrases “pregnant women” or “women seeking abortions.” Considering women are the only people in the world capable of conceiving and bearing children and are thus the only people in the world who would be seeking abortions for themselves, it’s a wonder this language was considered unacceptable in the first place.
But alas, when a crazy and unfortunately influential segment of society has decided to let go of its grip on reality, basic concepts like biological sex become taboo subjects one must defend.
On the issue of abortion, specifically, gender ideologues have been pushing the media to stop using sex-based language altogether. Instead of “women,” articles should say “pregnant people” or “people with a capacity for pregnancy,” they claim. This “inclusive” language makes sure that people who don’t identify as women (but are women nonetheless) aren’t left out of the debate.
Meanwhile, the people who are left out are … the women, who can’t even be identified in this gender-inclusive world.
If that seems sexist, it’s because it is. Yet the AP Stylebook endorsed this new language last month, only to soften its position this week. Nevertheless, the publication makes it clear that media outlets should use “phrases like ‘pregnant people’ or ‘people seeking abortions’ … when you want to be inclusive of people who have those experiences but do not identify as women.”
To be clear, if you are pregnant, you are a woman. It doesn’t matter what else you might identify as: You were born a female and will always be a female — that’s just a fact. And no amount of language shifts and redefinitions will change that.
