Activity: “Politically correct”
I don’t feel uncomfortable or fearful of politically correct language; we are in a period of adjustment where many people are transitioning into a better understanding of how best to communicate with appropriate language. However, I sometimes feel slightly anxious about saying the wrong thing, such as automatically saying an incorrect pronoun. This happened recently when talking with my teenage daughter about one of her friends, and I muddled myself and said the incorrect pronoun, which was not intentional.
I have precious family members who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. I wish to respectfully embrace their preferred language and stand in their corner as an ally in solidarity and adopt new language standards so they can become more normalised, broadly adapted and accepted. I feel my views come from a position of respect and love, as I don’t wish to offend anyone and believe we all deserve to feel valued and respected as humans. I can identify family members who are particularly passionate about this issue, and I wish to support them as respectfully as possible. I feel their passion comes from a desire to express their true identities and feel valued for their true selves without discrimination.
An artist I immediately think of whom I feel is inclusive would be G Flip, who identifies as non-binary and uses singular they/them pronouns. G Flip expresses lyrically through their music very open, heartfelt and honest feelings while presenting themselves with strength and confidence. As G Flip’s music grows in popularity and reaches wider audiences, they present an admirable strength in breaking down previous taboo topics, which supports the shift towards accepting new norms. Below is a link to a great short interview (Project, 2022) where G Flip talks about being non-binary and growing up feeling uncomfortable (skip to 2.20mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj_3Tpitcfs&ab_channel=TheProject
Alternatively, an artist I believe has made many mistakes around PC language is Kayne West (AKA: Ye), who has used anti-Semitic remarks and worn clothing stating ‘White Lives Matter’ on the back associated with white supremacy. I don’t believe he has since sought to correct this behaviour; however, I do feel there are greater issues at play relating to his mental health, which is heavily influencing his actions.
References
Project, T. (2022, 14 July 2022). G Flip Reveals All About The Whirlwind Of Dating Selling Sunset Star Chrishell Stause [Interview]. The Project. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj_3Tpitcfs
