[UA] UA unintenionally sexist? (LONG!)

[stuartanderson at uswest.net]

Gregory Paul Stolze wrote:

> At 07:47 AM 09/01/2000 EDT, you wrote:
> >In a message dated 9/1/00 7:30:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> >redfern at thehub.com.au writes:
> >
> >> the Freak (gender unknown, but male pronouns are used).
>
> Where is the male pronoun used?  I always tried to use "it" when describing
> the Freak.  Damn.

I always found that offensive. I feel that objectifies nightmarish evil
sex-mage predators 8 )
It does tweak a stylistic issue for me, though. In English, if you want to
refer to a single, unknown individual, you use the male pronouns. Male is the
default gender of English pronouns. That's the rule, and though it seems
arbitrary, when followed, it saves a lot of typing. The current game design
convention is to announce up front that you will be butchering that rule
freely, so's not (there's some good grammar, baby) to imply that girls can't
play RPGs. Talk about being hyper-aware of gender issues within a community.
A person I went to school with had no sex. Toby chose masculine pronouns. I
asked why and he replied "You're an English major, right?" It wasn't a quiet
submissive acceptance of gender bias, though. Toby sued Kansas so  the driver's
license forms now read: _male, _female, _other. It took a prolonged investment
of time and money to pull that off. It wasn't a frivolous gesture. Toby's a
great example of a human being who refuses to be an "it." Yet with that is an
acceptance that a campaign to make a deep and sweeping change to the language
isn't necessary for his acceptance into humanity. Picking the battles and
fighting the good fight. That's what it's all about.
--Stu.


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