Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Women’s College Bans the Word “Women”
I was at a restaurant recently and a waiter tripped over something and spilled a tray of drinks. I’m sure he was embarrassed, but I was uncomfortable as well. I was embarrassed for him. I’m not one who generally rejoices in watching someone make a fool of themselves. So I’m a little hesitant to admit how much I enjoyed this article on Fox News.
So the professors at a women’s college have been instructed not to use the word women (to avoid the appearance of thinking that there may be two genders). Perhaps next they won’t be allowed to use the word college (to avoid the appearance of thinking that there is some benefit to attending their institution). The left’s lack of any core principles (other than the ever-increasing acquisition of power) often leads to disconcerting conflicts. Disconcerting, and sometimes hilarious. The picture below is a good description of what’s happening on the left right now:
This is probably largely virtue signaling, but some of the “reasoning” behind banning the word “women” may be simply another example of the left thinking they can change reality by changing the language. Many of these people don’t live in reality, or at least they avoid it whenever possible. So their life is like the parable of the cave, in which they only see shadowy reflections of reality. Or someone else sees those reflections and then describes them to the students. Or something.
Or maybe I’m trying too hard to understand this. How do you seriously debate someone who does not take themselves, or anything else, seriously? I suppose I should at least consider the possibility that these people are just goofy.
Imagine Aristotle on a modern college campus. I would love to see his response to that memo…
Published in General
A decade or more ago I visited the campus of one of my older sons. In one of the student union buildings there was a poster on the wall, inviting students to complete the phrase:
[Our university] women are _____.
All sorts of words were written on the poster — smart, strong, powerful, brave, etc. But “feminine” wasn’t one of them, and I wondered what the response would be if someone had added that. (I didn’t; it felt too much like trolling.)
Nicely put.
Did they ban students from identifying sex on admissions?
All else is nicey nicey surplusage
What a dumb time to be alive.
I’m surprised sex-segregated colleges are still legal. I’d have figured that would have gone the same route as “historically black” colleges which admit students from all ethnic backgrounds.
I am student hear me roar.
I think it’s okay if it’s female-only. Men only clubs are bad–women only gyms like Curves are good.
I have more power than Al Gore.
You said it!
As Dave Barry used to say, you can’t make this stuff up.
By the way, “Perhaps next they won’t be allowed to use the word college (to avoid the appearance of thinking that there is some benefit to attending their institution)” is simply brilliant.
There are several colleges in that area that don’t lack for social justice warriors. This may have legs, er . . limbs, er … protuberances.
There’s are still three men-only 4-year colleges in the United States.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men's_colleges_in_the_United_States
If a women’s college doesn’t have any women, is it still a college?
If the administrators of this women’s college don’t believe in gender, then what is their criteria for admissions? That’s why I posted the picture of the snake. If gender is a false construct, then women’s colleges instantly have no reason to exist, and are in fact hostile to all that is good and true.
This is one reason I’m conservative – I’m not smart enough to be progressive.
Is there still “rape culture(?)”
This could only happen at a women’s college because at a co-ed college a man might show up and announce his gender identity as female. Then it would be transphobic to refuse to call him a woman.
If you find out your unborn baby has a penis, should you plan for a boy, or wait until it tells you what it is?
Maybe we can get rid of women’s history month.
But we still get to smash the patriarchy, right? It’s so confusing.
As of September 2017, at least five women’s colleges officially accept trans students, and others say they don’t track the “gender identities” of their students:
https://globalgrind.cassiuslife.com/4235041/spelman-college-will-now-accept-trans-women-students/
It seems to me that the more interesting question would be how many applications from cisgendered men do these schools receive? If no men ever apply, they can’t really be accused of discrimination.
Yep, my younger brother is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney. All boys prep school I was cool with but when it came to college I really enjoyed the company of women.
I am student, hear me roar….
You make me feel like a natural student….
When a student loves a stuuuuudeeennnttt……
No student, no cry….
Scent of a Student…
Why would anyone agree to those rules? Freedom of Speech used to be lauded by private parties as well as protected from the government.
I’m sorry, you cannot use Plato in your post. He was an old non-minority Greek man. Do not use Aristotle either, just as there is no gender, there is also no objective truth. Even though the statement there is no truth is a self-contradictory statement. Because if there is no truth that is a true statement. Get with it Doc, you must abandon reason.
To be fair, that one applies at most colleges.
Adding a period after “are” would have been fun.
Like I said, I’m not smart enough to be a progressive. All this stuff makes my brain hurt…
Women’s History Month is the only group Special Emphasis Observance enacted by Congress. All the others are driven by Executive Order or Presidential Proclamation. Just as Lincoln’s and Washington’s birthdays were collapsed into Presidents’ Day, perhaps a helpful conservative legislator could propose combining Women’s History Month and LGBT Pride month into Gender Diversity Month. I’m sure all the advocacy groups and spoxem (sp???) will play nicely together in getting that done.
smells like teen spirit.
I played bass oboe in the Mount Holyoke Orchestra last fall. They paid me well. The kids were all slender, pretty, rich acting young women. Very pleasant young women at that.