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"Gender neutral terms take away from womanhood" and other myths about queer-inclusive language

Writer: Anna BalagtasAnna Balagtas

Queer affirming language is not only necessary, it's life saving.


In this blog post, we'll examine popular myths that are heavily used by TERFS (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists) in birthing spaces, debunk said myths, and affirm all the ways in which queer affirming language is the only path forward in the world of birthwork.


This post was written for the folks at Brood Care Inc.



2 comentarios


I‘d love to hear your thoughts on Male, Female. In some cases, I’ve used these terms in a medical way to identify those who have uteri and those who do not since I will sometimes hold events that are more focused on those with a uterus.

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Anna Balagtas
Anna Balagtas
25 mar 2023
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Hmm, I tend not to use "male" or "female" in my practice. Especially because for me I care for many queer folks, my language is automatically non-gendered/gender neutral when I'm addressing folks generally. When I hold events specific for people with uteruses, I'll also use medical terms or if it's in the context of birth, I'll call folks "birthing people" or "pregnant people".

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