this post was submitted on 11 Mar 2024
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I am not a native English speaker and I have sometimes referred to people as male and female (as that is what I have been taught) but I have received some backlash in some cases, especially for the word "female", is there some negative thought in the word which I am unaware of?

I don't know if this is the best place to ask, if it's not appropriate I have no problem to delete it ^^

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (4 children)

I understand your pain. My home language doesn't even have separate words for woman and female, or male and man.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

It's as offensive as "black" is. If you call someone female that's fine. If you call someone a female, you're going to look like an incel.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

It’s dehumanizing.

Like when the cops are on the lookout for a six foot white male, it’s okay because cops dehumanize their suspects as a matter of course.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Female as an adjective is inoffensive everywhere, but you will run into problems in some contexts because its definition is currently in flux and different people will mean different things by it.

Female as a noun has the same changing definition deal, and also some online misogynists use it as a pejorative. It isn't one, but they use it as one. As a corollary, some others on the internet have chosen to be offended by the term.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

My daughter can be pretty offensive. Quite the potty mouth for an 8 year old.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

Not with proper hygiene.

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