History of Feminism
In reply to the discussion: (HOF THREAD!) SO is the word "BITCH" still acceptable on DU... [View all]BlueJazz
(25,348 posts)" It's useful to consult a dictionary when in doubt. When someone calls a woman a "bitch," they communicate that they see her as less than human, akin to a female dog. The purpose of language is to communicate. People who use gendered slurs and then insist they don't mean what the dictionary says, what everyone knows they mean, and then insist on using them anyway, communicate quite clearly how they see women."
The dictionary (Marriam-Webster) says this about bitch:
1: the female of the dog or some other carnivorous mammals
2a : a lewd or immoral woman
b : a malicious, spiteful, or overbearing woman —sometimes used as a generalized term of abuse
I'm NOT saying you're wrong. I'm saying that some of us use the word as in 2b....Akin to calling a Man, A Dick, An asshole, A prick.
2a has NEVER occurred to me (maybe my Australian upbringing)
BUT having said all this stuff, I don't think any of us on DU want to offend other DUers, especially when others feel so strongly about an issue.
I'm a kind person and I'll certainly change my opinion when it's so important to people I associate with and such.
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