There’s a lot of discussion around changing language to be more inclusive. I just spent half of last-week on a hack week project to catch problematic language in our code and documentation at work. I get how it can feel frivolous when people are being shot. I think this work is small, but important.

When I had my first kid Julie and I tried to share childcare. I was in no way the perfect partner, but I still kept bumping up against constant re-enforcement of “traditional” patriarchal parenting. I constantly heard things like, “I never changed a diaper with my kids”. I found myself stumbling with things like calling taking care of my kids “babysitting”, despite them being – you know – my kids. The language and society keep subtly and not-so subtly trying to put me back in place.

That sort of constant subtle undermining is why I support language change. The current language is built to tell LGBTQIA+, women and people of color they’re less than. They’re being watched. Stay in your place.

I support changing these small words because they signal a bigger cultural shift. This shift flips society and says to the abusers and racist that now they’re the ones being watched. That the company culture no longer exists to exclusively protect them.

I think that’s an important change.