Sometimes the language we use reflects our stereotypes. While in speech our facial expressions or even gestures may convince our listeners that we are not being offensive, in writing it is a lot harder to do. Avoid making generalizations when talking about gender, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, or people with disabilities.
Avoid using masculine pronouns when the gender of the person is not known.
| Avoid | Use Instead |
|---|---|
| anchorman |
anchor |
| businessman | businessperson, executive, manager, business owner, retailer, etc. |
| chairman | chair, chairperson, coordinator, head |
| cleaning lady, maid | housecleaner, housekeeper, cleaning person, office cleaner |
| clergyman | member of the clergy, rabbi, priest, etc. |
| congressman | representative, member of Congress, legislator |
| forefather | ancestor |
| housewife | homemaker |
| insurance man | insurance agent |
| mailman, postman | mail carrier, postal worker |
| man | person, individual |
| mankind | humankind, humanity, human beings |
| policeman | police officer, law enforcement officer |
| spokesman | spokesperson, representative |
| stewardess, steward | flight attendant |
| weatherman | weather reporter, metereologist |
If race or ethnicity is used to describe a person, it has to be relevant to the information presented.
Ethnic and racial labels often change and deciding which term is the correct one can be hard. Should we say African American or black? Hispanic or Latino/Latina? American Indian or Native American? And is Asian the preferred term?
As Hult and Huckin state: "The best rule of thumb is to call people by whatever term they prefer, just as you should pronounce their personal name however they want it pronounced. If you are unsure of what to use to describe a certain group of people, just ask members of that group" (725-726).
Labels are often generated when we use adjectives as collective nouns. Avoid using labels the disabled, the schizophrenics; instead, use people with disabilities, people diagnosed with schizophrenia.
The APA Manual of Style also recommends using emotionally neutral expressions when describing people with disabilities: a person with AIDS rather than an AIDS victim, a person with emphysema rather than a person suffering from emphysema (76).