Back in May, Stanford University published its “harmful language initiative” that seeks to remove words and phrases it deems offensive from use at the school, but it only began making the rounds on social media this week. The project was an 18-month long endeavor with “stakeholder groups” and sought to address “harmful language in IT at Stanford.” It looked at language that was ableist, ageist, imprecise from a gender standpoint, culturally appropriative, racist, violent, and more, and even put forth suggested alternatives.
The findings are rather incredible.
Call yourself an “American”? Please don’t. Better to say “U.S. citizen,” per the bias hunters, lest you slight the rest of the Americas. “Immigrant” is also out, with “person who has immigrated” as the approved alternative. It’s the iron law of academic writing: Why use one word when four will do?
You can’t “master” your subject at Stanford any longer; in case you hadn’t heard, the school instructs that “historically, masters enslaved people.” And don’t dare design a “blind study,” which “unintentionally perpetuates that disability is somehow abnormal or negative, furthering an ableist culture.” Blind studies are good and useful, but never mind; “masked study” is to be preferred. Follow the science.
“Gangbusters” is banned because the index says it “invokes the notion of police action against ‘gangs’ in a positive light, which may have racial undertones.” Not to beat a dead horse (a phrase that the index says “normalizes violence against animals”), but you used to have to get a graduate degree in the humanities to write something that stupid. (WSJ)
Don’t say “American,”say “US citizen.” Don’t say “immigrant, “ say “person who immigrated.” Avoid “he” & “she” unless you know the individual’s preferred pronoun. But don’t use “preferred pronoun” because “that suggests non-binary gender identity is a choice.” 😵💫@Stanford pic.twitter.com/QdB3O20wDH
— Christina Sommers (@CHSommers) December 20, 2022
Every few years, some college will publish an absurd guide like this one. They are widely ridiculed & one assumes they go away. But they don’t.The list of forbidden words only gets longer & the guides continue to circulate among an ever-growing number of academic administrators.
— Christina Sommers (@CHSommers) December 20, 2022
Why they wouldn’t be proud to stand by this index is anyone’s guess, but following backlash, the website is now restricted to the Stanford community.