Newsgroups: sci.lang,alt.usage.english
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From: slb@fs.com.au (Stuart Burnfield)
Subject: Re: "gay" (was: Re: Gay Teenagers)
Message-ID: <1995Mar13.064056.12387@fs.com.au>
Organization: Functional Software, Perth, Australia
References: <794198935snz@storcomp.demon.co.uk> <9503071227281404@election.demon.co.uk> <794599902snz@storcomp.demon.co.uk> <D54vI0.3MM@zeno.fit.edu>
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 1995 06:40:56 GMT
Lines: 27

In article <D54vI0.3MM@zeno.fit.edu>,
Luke Stevens <stevens@galileo.pss.fit.edu> wrote:
>(...big snip)
>I like to use correct constructions that annoy others just for the sake of the
>opportunity to correct their understanding of English.  If a feminist gets mad
>at me for calling her "he", "freshman", or "chairman", I know that I have 
>centuries of precedent and agreement of experts on my side and can defend my
>usage better than she can defend her objection to it.  
>
The person in question might be a male feminist. Given this, shouldn't you
have correctly constructed your sentence using the inclusive terms 'him',
'he' and 'his'?
 
"...If a feminist gets mad at me for calling _him_ "he", "freshman", or
"chairman", I know that I have centuries of precedent and agreement of
experts on my side and can defend my usage better than _he_ can defend
_his_ objection to it."  

:^)

p.s. Yes, this one is so fat and slow I know it must have been a troll.
     But I could never resist dancing down the pitch...
-- 
Stuart Burnfield		I don't plant taters, I don't pick cotton.
Voice: +61 9 328 8288		I'm a technical writer.
PO Box 192 Leederville
Western Australia 6903
