Diane Imel (Lady Di) is part of the City of Wilsonville's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. As part of this committee, she has written a thought provoking article that we feel should be shared with as many people as possible. Thank you Lady Di for sharing. Please read and learn.
Do You Know What You Said?
Recently, I was “called out” by one of my dearest friends regarding a misspeak I had made. This misspeak was unintentional and completely without malice and, unfortunately, prior thought. To say I was stunned is an enormous understatement! However, this “blow” was like the key to a locked door…revealing my ignorance and lack of knowledge regarding the acceptable use of descriptors…. adjectives…words!
How can we know what the appropriate language should be? Where can we educate ourselves to the acceptable phraseology of today? This is the challenge that confronts us each day and one that begs to be addressed.
How often have we misused our adjectives and descriptors… “my Asian butcher, my black friend, my disabled neighbor, the gay librarian, my immigrant school mate”? It is important to recognize and correct these unacceptable and often derogatory phrases. And what about the usage of proper pronouns: he/him, she/her, they/them? These are more relevant now than we realize.
Information on this subject can be found through the internet. “Pronouns: A How-To-The Diversity Center”, Preferred Terms for Select Population Groups “and “A Guide to Race and Ethnicity Terminology and Language” are just three of the informational resource sites available.
It is imperative that we continue our efforts of abolishing all discrimination and the proper usage of our words, as well as the eliminations of other barriers, is a must! These goals of diversity, equity and inclusion may be novel to many…often generational in their nature. This stresses the need for introspection regarding our speech and the inherent strength of the words we use. It is human nature to speak in the moment without thoroughly analyzing what we’re saying but it would be to the benefit of all that we weigh the words we use before utterance. By Diane Imel