“Inclusive” Gender-Sensitive Twitter Trend Makes Major Omission

I am by no means a radical feminist. I think men and women are fundamentally and wonderfully different. I think transgender athletes should compete with their biological sex. I think the “sexual liberation” movement is making people miserable. Go ahead and call me a TERF, already.

But there are still things that I believe are rooted in sexism that I get worked up over, and I’ll tell you right now, they’re pretty weird. Like why is it when the ruling monarch of the UK is a woman, her husband is called a prince, but if it’s a man, his wife can be the queen? That’s sexist. When my husband and I got married, I told him I would like it if we both hyphenated our names, because A) my last name is a perfectly good one and B) he’s joining my family just as much as I’m joining his. I also said if he didn’t want to change his name, then I wouldn’t change mine either. (We both did– and rolled dice for whose got to go first.)

Aaaand I’ve always chosen the title “Ms.,” both before and after marriage, because I don’t get why a woman’s title should be affected by her marital status when a man’s isn’t. (For the record, Germany agrees with me— they’ve phased out the use of “Fräulein” and use “Frau” pretty much across the board.)

So you can imagine my ire when I stumbled upon this little Twitter gem.

Basically, this is a little exercise for trans and I guess probably nonbinary? folx to self-affirm their brave and beautiful identities by clarifying which gendered terms you’re allowed to call they/them. Because EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW, ALRIGHT?!

But, of course, there’s something missing. You know, right between the “Miss” and “Mrs.” options. Uhh. . . @ radically inclusive Twitter, WHERE THE HELL IS MY “MS.” OPTION?

I know you’re probably thinking this doesn’t matter and wondering why the heck I’m getting so worked up over it. But hear me out.

I’ve already made my case for why “Ms.” is a significant option in terms of a woman’s– that is, an adult human female’s– identity. Omitting it from an exercise that is part of a movement which aggressively bends itself into pretzels trying to be inclusive is at best sloppy, but at worst just another place where women are being erased.

It’s not about the patriarchy anymore– if it were, “Ms.” would be the ONLY option, since those oppressive men better not think they can change us women just by marrying us! This radical trans movement, whether by intention or as collateral damage, is bulldozing the meaning and experience of being a woman worse than the “oppressive patriarchy” ever has (and I’m talking about historical societies that I actually agree were sexist).

I mean, holy hell, when we don’t even get to keep dominion over menstruation— the literal WORST PART OF WOMANHOOD– you can bet your balls I’m gonna fight tooth and nail for “Ms.”