ANU unveils new terms for mother and father

[Still Waters 52,311]

Australia National University has updated its Gender Institute Handbook to offer new words for mother and father.

It's aimed at introducing trans-friendly language in the workplace and learning landscape.

According to News Corp, the handbook is 'for any ANU student or staff member involved or interested in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students'.

However, it's 'not an official ANU policy, process or official prescription to staff and students'.

In the handbook, people wanting to refer to mums and dads will now be urged to say 'gestational parent' instead of mother and 'non-birthing parent' instead of father when talking to colleagues and students.

https://www.ladbible.com/news/latest-australias-top-university-unveils-new-terms-for-mother-and-father-20210215

[RoofGardener 17,378]

What a load of deranged twaddle. "non-birthing parent' indeed ! It's obvious rubbish .

[jmccr8 21,254]

Can we still call the kids brats or rug rats?

jmccr8

[Desertrat56 21,456]

Oh, good lord!   They just as well have said "sperm donor" and "egg donor"; And what about people who want to refer to those who raised them but had nothing to do with their birth (like adoptive parents, foster parents, grandma's & other family members).  How stupid, I would not send my child to that university.

[and then 47,061]

The farther these folks go into creating new language to salve the sensibilities of these tiny minorities of people, the more I get the impression they're laughing at us.  I just can't take them seriously any longer.  I've never intentionally insulted or disrespected anyone because their sexuality or any other quirk.  If I do so out of confusion over what the "correct" language is - today - then I suspect they'll need to get over it.

[glorybebe 8,867]

The problem is that they are taking away from one group to make the other group feel validated.  I was born female, I gave birth to my daughter who calls me mom or mama.  Why do I have to lose her calling me her mom?  

I told her throughout history society has gone so far to one side that eventually it snaps back.  And it snaps back hard.  Why must we work so hard to keep society together when others seem to be wanting to rip it apart?

[Golden Duck 12,350]

https://genderinstitute.anu.edu.au/news/2019-anu-gender-institute-grants-awarded

[Peter B 3,835]

Does it need to be pointed out that the university has said "This document is not an official ANU policy, process or official prescription to staff and students."

[Jon the frog 2,412]

On 2/16/2021 at 3:44 PM, glorybebe said:

The problem is that they are taking away from one group to make the other group feel validated.  I was born female, I gave birth to my daughter who calls me mom or mama.  Why do I have to lose her calling me her mom?  

I told her throughout history society has gone so far to one side that eventually it snaps back.  And it snaps back hard.  Why must we work so hard to keep society together when others seem to be wanting to rip it apart?

Always one way or the other.... never balanced. It's just plain crazy to total stupid all the time.

[Hugh Mungus 803]

55 minutes ago, Peter B said:

Does it need to be pointed out that the university has said "This document is not an official ANU policy, process or official prescription to staff and students."

Quote

According to News Corp, the handbook is 'for any ANU student or staff member involved or interested in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students'.

It's being issued to teachers, so expect it to be taught 

[Hyperionxvii 643]

Did we learn this from watching this, or are they just incredibly stupid?

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=we're+from+France+consme+mass+quantitites&&view=detail&mid=5FA402B723154E0EA40C5FA402B723154E0EA40C&&FORM=VRDGAR

Parental Units! 

[Golden Duck 12,350]

7 hours ago, Hugh Mungus said:

It's being issued to teachers, so expect it to be taught 

However, you can't find a quote from a university spokesperson confirming that nor can you find as part of ANUs policies. 

However Seven did receive a response from ANU:

Quote

This document is not an official ANU policy, process or official prescription to staff and students.

https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/anu-researchers-suggest-changing-terms-mother-father-to-be-more-gender-inclusive-c-2174442

A link to the research institute has been provided.

[godnodog 1,435]

I cant wait to see when babies get screamed at for breastfeeding.

[Peter B 3,835]

I find it interesting to note that the handbook was published last year, yet it's only become a story just now. Slow news week (I don't think so), or a desperate search for something to be outraged about?

I'd just recommend people read the handbook.

Yes, there's stuff there I don't agree with, and I think there are a couple of mutually contradictory arguments. But it's important to understand that the section that has people all steamed up represents just a couple of paragraphs in a booklet that's 26 pages long.

It spends much more time discussing ways that staff can help mature-age students who have parental responsibilities. And speaking as someone who spent two years as a mature-age uni student with parental responsibilities (one of those years while also working full-time), I welcome the idea that university staff get reminded every so often that some of their students aren't bright-eyed unattached people in their early twenties.

The booklet also spends plenty of time discussing sexual harassment in general, fairly relevant seeing as the ANU copped a kicking from the Australian Human Rights Commission back in 2017 about sexual violence on the campus, and then took two years to respond to the report.

So perhaps next time you feel you're about to be triggered as a result of reading an article about Code Words of The Scary Left, consider that instead of seeing yourself as a Proud Warrior of Free Speech, maybe you've just walked sheep-like exactly where the article's author intended you to. In such cases maybe reading the source material would be better than doing an impersonation of one of Pavlov's dogs.

[Hugh Mungus 803]

4 hours ago, Peter B said:

I find it interesting to note that the handbook was published last year, yet it's only become a story just now. Slow news week (I don't think so), or a desperate search for something to be outraged about?

I'd just recommend people read the handbook.

Yes, there's stuff there I don't agree with, and I think there are a couple of mutually contradictory arguments. But it's important to understand that the section that has people all steamed up represents just a couple of paragraphs in a booklet that's 26 pages long.

It spends much more time discussing ways that staff can help mature-age students who have parental responsibilities. And speaking as someone who spent two years as a mature-age uni student with parental responsibilities (one of those years while also working full-time), I welcome the idea that university staff get reminded every so often that some of their students aren't bright-eyed unattached people in their early twenties.

The booklet also spends plenty of time discussing sexual harassment in general, fairly relevant seeing as the ANU copped a kicking from the Australian Human Rights Commission back in 2017 about sexual violence on the campus, and then took two years to respond to the report.

So perhaps next time you feel you're about to be triggered as a result of reading an article about Code Words of The Scary Left, consider that instead of seeing yourself as a Proud Warrior of Free Speech, maybe you've just walked sheep-like exactly where the article's author intended you to. In such cases maybe reading the source material would be better than doing an impersonation of one of Pavlov's dogs.

Are you defending the author of the pamphlet removing the terms mother and father for more gender neutral terms? Is that how your non-gestational parent raised you?

 

[Peter B 3,835]

6 hours ago, Hugh Mungus said:

Are you defending the author of the pamphlet removing the terms mother and father for more gender neutral terms? Is that how your non-gestational parent raised you?

 

Did you notice this bolded bit?

11 hours ago, Peter B said:

I find it interesting to note that the handbook was published last year, yet it's only become a story just now. Slow news week (I don't think so), or a desperate search for something to be outraged about?

I'd just recommend people read the handbook.

Yes, there's stuff there I don't agree with, and I think there are a couple of mutually contradictory arguments. But it's important to understand that the section that has people all steamed up represents just a couple of paragraphs in a booklet that's 26 pages long.

It spends much more time discussing ways that staff can help mature-age students who have parental responsibilities. And speaking as someone who spent two years as a mature-age uni student with parental responsibilities (one of those years while also working full-time), I welcome the idea that university staff get reminded every so often that some of their students aren't bright-eyed unattached people in their early twenties.

The booklet also spends plenty of time discussing sexual harassment in general, fairly relevant seeing as the ANU copped a kicking from the Australian Human Rights Commission back in 2017 about sexual violence on the campus, and then took two years to respond to the report.

So perhaps next time you feel you're about to be triggered as a result of reading an article about Code Words of The Scary Left, consider that instead of seeing yourself as a Proud Warrior of Free Speech, maybe you've just walked sheep-like exactly where the article's author intended you to. In such cases maybe reading the source material would be better than doing an impersonation of one of Pavlov's dogs.

 

[Golden Duck 12,350]

7 hours ago, Hugh Mungus said:

Are you defending the author of the pamphlet removing the terms mother and father for more gender neutral terms? Is that how your non-gestational parent raised you?

 

Can you actually quote where the document suggests that?

[smanthaonvaca 266]

Quote

"While many students will identify as 'mothers' or 'fathers', using these terms alone to describe parenthood excludes those who do not identify with gender-binaries," the book states.

I don't think that the idea of being inclusive is bad... but if this bit is true, they are being exclusive by being inclusive. Again, the terms aren't offensive and they don't need to be erased. Why would they REMOVE the identities of mother and father instead of just ADDING the new terms? They never removed the identity of being straight for people who are not straight. I'm bi, but this is just ridiculous. This seems to be becoming a common theme in recent news.

Quote

On 2/18/2021 at 8:48 AM, Peter B said:

I find it interesting to note that the handbook was published last year, yet it's only become a story just now. Slow news week (I don't think so), or a desperate search for something to be outraged about?

I'd just recommend people read the handbook.

 

Where did you find that one handbook from the website? I could not find that particular pdf that you linked. It appears from what I have read on the website that the article in the original post could possibly be a misinterpretation of information.

https://services.anu.edu.au/human-resources/respect-inclusion/gender-inclusive-language

https://genderinstitute.anu.edu.au/

Edited February 20 by smanthaonvaca
Corrections

[Peter B 3,835]

On 2/20/2021 at 1:32 PM, smanthaonvaca said:

I don't think that the idea of being inclusive is bad... but if this bit is true, they are being exclusive by being inclusive. Again, the terms aren't offensive and they don't need to be erased. Why would they REMOVE the identities of mother and father instead of just ADDING the new terms? They never removed the identity of being straight for people who are not straight. I'm bi, but this is just ridiculous. This seems to be becoming a common theme in recent news.

Where did you find that one handbook from the website? I could not find that particular pdf that you linked. It appears from what I have read on the website that the article in the original post could possibly be a misinterpretation of information.

https://services.anu.edu.au/human-resources/respect-inclusion/gender-inclusive-language

https://genderinstitute.anu.edu.au/

Funnily enough, I didn't find it on the institute's website. Rather, it was linked in the news.com.au article (I googled anu gender institute handbook and the news.com.au article was the second link).

[Golden Duck 12,350]

10 hours ago, Peter B said:

Funnily enough, I didn't find it on the institute's website. Rather, it was linked in the news.com.au article (I googled anu gender institute handbook and the news.com.au article was the second link).

It's on their 2019 grants page.  See post #7.

[Myles 14,948]

This is so stupid.   People are falling off the cliff on the left.

[Peter B 3,835]

8 hours ago, Myles said:

This is so stupid.   People are falling off the cliff on the left.

 

I agree.

The scale of the over-reaction to just a couple of paragraphs in a booklet allocating ten times as much space to each of helping mature-age students and dealing with sexual harassment is stupid.

[Hammerclaw 28,693]

Somebody needs to write a pamphlet teaching transsexuals--a very tiny minority-- how to interact with a world full of heterosexuals, who aren't going to stop behaving like heterosexuals, just to make them feel better.