[VRB_20kt]

I find myself irked by the absence of a common genderless singular pronoun in English. (S)he ... works OK, but the use of "They" and "Their" in a singular case is to my ears incredibly ugly.

"Each to their own" is just wrong. "Each to one's own" is better but sounds pedantic. Back when I were a lad "His" was deemed to include both sexes so "Each to his own" was assumed to include the female of the species and all was well.

When Bronowski developed "The Ascent of Man" nobody thought that half of humanity was excluded yet now it would have to be called "The Ascent of Humankind" - and doubtless even that would be deemed to cause offence in some parts where Hupersonkind might be seen to be preferable.

Frankly I think correction is being attempted in the wrong place. Expunging "Man" and maleness in all situations is just unhelpful. What we need is a replacement for when any sense of gender is undesirable. Roll on Chairwan, Milkwan, and the like. Mind you, we'd probably have to look particularly carefully at mankind!

[AerBabe]

Will organisations like the BWPA have to become the BPPA?

No, it’s just that only women can join.

So, if you don’t identify as a woman, you can’t join.

Where on earth did you get that from?

From the membership page of the BWPA website:

Associate Membership:
Available to women training for one of the licences listed under the Full Membership category, and anyone interested in furthering the aims of the Association.

[Bill McCarthy]

We have a “Metropolitan Black Police Association”. Now, can you imagine the utter outrage if we had an association called the “Met. White Police Association”.

[Cessna571]

Will organisations like the BWPA have to become the BPPA?

No, it’s just that only women can join.

So, if you don’t identify as a woman, you can’t join.

Where on earth did you get that from?

From the membership page of the BWPA website:

Associate Membership:
Available to women training for one of the licences listed under the Full Membership category, and anyone interested in furthering the aims of the Association.

I presumed wrongly then.

So it’s women training for licences on the list who can become full members, and others (of any classification) can be associate members.

It’s still true that anyone can be a full member of the BPPA and that is different to the BWPA, which was my point, the BWPA is different to the BPPA, no need for the BWPA to change it’s name.

[seanxair]

Can I join the Women's Institute now? Need a jam recipe

[kanga]

Can I join the Women's Institute now? ..

yes, and men have been able to for several years ..

[but, to disappoint some maybe, jam recipes are most unlikely to be mentioned in typical WI meetings ]

[Paultheparaglider]

@kanga , that reply to @seanxair 's mention of jam took nearly 2 hours. You are slipping.

[Morten]

2 hours? I was always told JAM tomorrow!

[seanxair]

Can I join the Women's Institute now? ..

yes, and men have been able to for several years ..

[but, to disappoint some maybe, jam recipes are most unlikely to be mentioned in typical WI meetings ]

Do they still do those nice calendars?

[kanga]

..

Do they still do those nice calendars?

hoping to pose for the next one ?

[Sooty25]

It’s odd that now “the first woman to ....”
won’t exist, we are all people, it’s just “the first person to” that gets remembered.

First woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean is now sexist.

As she was not the “first” person, she will be wiped from history.

First female Astronaut : Gone from the history books.

Neil Armstrong was the first person on the moon, end of.

Of course, what will be really nice is when “The first person to....” is a woman and we don’t feel the need to say

“Well done you, what with being a woman and all”.

Which is what we are basically saying when we use “First woman to ...”

I guess the Olympics will all be mixed events as well now then?

[Cessna571]

It’s odd that now “the first woman to ....”
won’t exist, we are all people, it’s just “the first person to” that gets remembered.

First woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean is now sexist.

As she was not the “first” person, she will be wiped from history.

First female Astronaut : Gone from the history books.

Neil Armstrong was the first person on the moon, end of.

Of course, what will be really nice is when “The first person to....” is a woman and we don’t feel the need to say

“Well done you, what with being a woman and all”.

Which is what we are basically saying when we use “First woman to ...”

I guess the Olympics will all be mixed events as well now then?

Wasn’t there recently a person who was previously a man who won a woman’s event? I think it was cycling.

I have no idea how the woke community will deal with the Olympics.

I expect there will be changes, but they’ll be slower, harder to work out.

[johnm]

I am finding the use of the word "woke" in a disparaging context increasingly irritating

Can we let it quietly return to its original cultural context please

[eltonioni]

It’s odd that now “the first woman to ....”
won’t exist, we are all people, it’s just “the first person to” that gets remembered.

First woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean is now sexist.

As she was not the “first” person, she will be wiped from history.

First female Astronaut : Gone from the history books.

Neil Armstrong was the first person on the moon, end of.

Of course, what will be really nice is when “The first person to....” is a woman and we don’t feel the need to say

“Well done you, what with being a woman and all”.

Which is what we are basically saying when we use “First woman to ...”

I guess the Olympics will all be mixed events as well now then?

Wasn’t there recently a person who was previously a man who won a woman’s event? I think it was cycling.

I have no idea how the woke community will deal with the Olympics.

I expect there will be changes, but they’ll be slower, harder to work out.

They put their fingers in their ears and pretend a genetic male is a genetic female and let them compete together. A decidedly average male can best an elite female. It’s just beginning but it has to stopped because women’s sport is about to be ruined. Trans women should compete in men’s sport, and vice versa... wear a skirt if you like.

[Paultheparaglider]

I am finding the use of the word "woke" in a disparaging context increasingly irritating

Can we let it quietly return to its original cultural context please

You need to woke up and smell the coffee, John.