DEB and Conscious Language
EFA’s anti-harassment policy
https://www.the-efa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Anti-Harassment-Policy.pdf
Clubhouse welcome
Welcome to the Editorial Freelancers Association Clubhouse room! Today’s topic is DEB, Conscious Language, and related issues. I am planning to share from my experience as a multiply marginalized person, and I'll share some of the editing notes I have saved in Text Expander to drop in when I encounter problematic content in manuscripts. My colleague D Scott has joined us today to talk about their work with Conscious Language and why it’s important to them.
To join the conversation, tap on the hand in the lower-right corner, and I’ll invite you up to the stage.
D Scott, academic editor
https://www.dscottedits.com/conscious-language-workshop
D recommends the Radical Copyeditor
Intro from “Conscious Language Toolkit for Editors” from Crystal Shelley
https://www.rabbitwitharedpen.com/shop
Editors are language experts who provide writers with guidance on how to effectively communicate their messages to readers. Writing that is unintentionally biased, excluding, or disrespectful can be harmful, and part of an editor’s role is to bring these types of language issues to a writer’s attention.
EFA’s nondiscrimination statement and Conscious Language resources
https://www.the-efa.org/diversity-equity-belonging/
We at the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) welcome and value members of all backgrounds. We don’t discriminate, but more than that, we want the EFA to be an organization where all can feel they belong. We welcome people of every ability, age, ancestry, belief system, body size or appearance, citizenship, color, culture, education, gender expression, gender identity, health, military status, national or ethnic origin, neurotype, race, parental status, relationship status, religion, sexual orientation, and/or socio-economic background. We are nothing without our members, and encourage everyone to volunteer, to serve on the board, and to participate in our community.
A case for replacing triggered with dysregulated
https://www.trueloveeditorial.com/blog/im-not-triggered
Text Expander snippets
Until now, none of the characters have been described as anything other than socially attractive. Diversity in fiction is increasingly valued by readers, but giving the only physically diverse character an annoying personality perpetuates the harmful myth that socially unattractive people are unlikable and worthy of scorn.
The metaphorical use of disability to indicate something unusual, negative, or harmful is ableist and may upset readers. Alternatives include: ignorant, unaware, without thinking
For further reading: https://www.disabilityandrepresentation.com/2013/09/14/ableist-language/Because of the racist and sexist undertones of the word “master,” as well as housing discrimination, which is rooted in racism, some in real estate and architecture have pushed for using other terms (ex: primary bedroom, owner’s suite).
For further reading: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/realestate/master-bedroom-change.htmlMany terms and phrases used in everyday life may be considered ableist because they inadvertently stigmatize disabilities. “Stupid” refers to people with intellectual disabilities and can be hurtful to readers. Consider instead: foolish, a dipshit
No one ever praises the main character for having a loose vagina, which reinforces the misogynistic idea that vaginas are solely for the pleasure of people with penises. It also propagates the myth that a loose vagina indicates a person of equally loose morality.
Mental illness is often sought as a reason for violent or criminal behavior. However, doing so perpetuates stereotypes about mental illness and ignores the fact that mentally healthy people may have problematic value systems. Consider replacing {original word} with {new word}.
“Guru” refers specifically to a spiritual leader in the Hindu religion and using it in an unrelated context can come across as disrespectful.
Additional resources
Upcoming discussions
Our next event – April 4 – will mark one month for this room! I hope you’ll join us for a general chat about what you think of the rooms so far and what’s going on with your writing, editing, recording, etc.
April 11 will focus on taxes, finances, accounting… the numbers side of operating a publishing business, and April 18 will be all things audiobooks.
