'Woke Words' Could Be Banned Under Republican Proposal [View all]

Source: Newsweek

Published Feb 21, 2025 at 9:38 AM EST | Updated Feb 21, 2025 at 10:30 AM EST


A bill seeking to eliminate "woke" words and phrases has been introduced in the West Virginia Legislature. Kathie Hess Crouse, one of the 11 Republican state delegates who sponsored the legislation, told Newsweek that she introduced it because "words matter" and "state government should reflect truth, clarity, and reality—not political agendas." Newsweek has contacted the other Republican state delegates who sponsored the legislation as well as Democratic delegates for comment via email.

Why It Matters

To be "woke," according to Merriam-Webster, means to be "aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice)." In recent years, critics of the concept have co-opted the word as a pejorative to describe anything or anyone who is or appears to be left-leaning.

Since President Donald Trump's return to the White House, he has launched a fight against "wokeness," ordering an end to the government's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Trump also told reporters in the Oval Office earlier this month, following his takeover of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, that he would ensure future programming would no longer be "woke."

What To Know

On Monday, West Virginia delegates introduced House Bill 2406, which seeks to eliminate "woke words and agendas from state government documents, websites, literature, and in person," the bill said. The bill also said that in official government documents, websites and literature as well as in person, certain "exclusionary and sexist terms" should be replaced with "accurate, female-affirming alternatives."

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/woke-words-banned-republican-proposal-2034270

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When one loon state does something like this, other zombie loon states will copy it.

But you know that we were told the election was about "Price of eggs", "Kitchen table issues", "Working class".