Off-Topic and Low-Effort CW Thread for August 23, 2021OT/LE

submitted by rwkastenBring on the dancing horses from self.CultureWarRoundup

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[–]WickedWitchOfTheWest 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Lancet accused of sexism after calling women ‘bodies with vaginas’: The prestigious medical journal has prompted a wave of anger online after a 'well-meaning but unhelpful attempt to be inclusive'

The Lancet medical journal has been accused of sexism after describing women as “bodies with vaginas” on the cover of its latest edition.

A tweet sharing the front page has provoked a wave of criticism, with academics cancelling their subscriptions and resigning as reviewers, doctors blasting the phrase as “dehumanising” and activists suggesting the term is “unhelpful” for broader debates about inclusivity.

The cover refers to an article, titled ‘Periods on Display’ and published on September 1, which reviews an exhibition on the history of menstruation at the Vagina Museum in London. In the piece, the writer says "women" four times, but also uses the phrase "bodies with vaginas" once.

It is a quote including this latter term that the Lancet's editors chose to use on the front page. “Historically, the anatomy and physiology of bodies with vaginas have been neglected,” it says.

While the language is an attempt at inclusivity it has prompted a furious response, with some academics suggesting they will never work with the journal again.

[–]Node 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

“bodies with vaginas”

This appears to be a technically accurate characterization of a female, even if they typically only have one 'official' vagina.

Bodies with a vagina might be the better form.

[–]WickedWitchOfTheWest 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

That would also refer to female non-human mammals.

[–]Node 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

That was more of a grammar nitpick. Just adding "human" would narrow it down to our species, and hopefully not include those 'surgically created vaginas' we've had to read about recently.