Johns Hopkins University, generally known for its prestige, has found itself in hot water and been forced to somewhat quietly delete the entries for its "LGBTQ Glossary" page. Its as a "lesbian" in part as a "non man-attracted to non-men" rightly caused backlash for erasing women. The Internet is forever, though, and screenshots abound, including from J.K. Rowling, who has spoken out boldly in favor of women.
Man: no definition needed.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 13, 2023
Non-man (formerly known as woman):
a being definable only by reference to the male. An absence, a vacuum where there's no man-ness. pic.twitter.com/cpSaSR2Vfg
The change, before it was deleted, acknowledged that the definition used to refer to a lesbian as "a woman who is emotionally, romantically, and/or sexually attracted to other women." It went on to claim, though, that the change "includes non-binary people who may identify with the label."
In a particularly obvious display of the erasure of women, and, by their definition, the non-inclusion of "non-binary people who may identify with the [gay] label," there's no such language for men. There's no such change for a "gay man," who is referred to in part as "A man who is emotionally, romantically, sexually, affectionately, or relationally attracted to other men..."
The web page, which is part of the university's "DIVERSITY & INCLUSION" office offering Gender & Sexuality Resources," is not gone, but as of Wednesday morning, contains no entries.
Here is what the page currently reads:
Johns Hopkins strives to create a campus culture that is inclusive and welcoming for all gender identities, sexual orientations, experiences and viewpoints, and we are committed to ensuring Johns Hopkins is a place where LGBTQ people feel supported.
The LGBTQ Glossary serves as an introduction to the range of identities and terms that are used within LGBTQ communities, and is not intended to serve as the definitive answers as to how all people understand or use these terms.
Upon becoming aware of the language in question, we have begun working to determine the origin and context of the glossary’s definitions. We have removed the page from our website while we gather more information.
According to an archived version of the site from Tuesday afternoon, though, here is what the site read before listing off dozens of terms in alphabetic order, which included "lesbian" and "gay man," in addition to over 60 others:
No glossary could encompass the range of identities and terms that are used within LGBTQIA+ communities. If you hear a term you don’t recognize, or feel like someone is using a term in a new way, ask the individual what the term means to them. This glossary is meant as an introduction to the community, and is not the definitive answer as to how everyone understands these terms.
The terminology below will be formatted as “Term [part of identity, if applicable]: definition” and may include a resource for further learning and/or a cross-reference.
Other parts of the website still remain though, especially under the guise of "Education." The resources are particularly in depth when it comes to "LGBTQ links," which includes mention of "Latinx Organizations," despite how so few Latinos actually use the term, and it is actually considered something of a slur.
There are also many mentions of "safe zones," including to do with "Safe Zone Program" and "SZ Foundations." This section of the website also really pushes pronouns, under "Supporting Chosen Names and Pronouns."
"For faculty and staff, using appropriate names and pronouns is an important way of establishing norms of respect with the students you work with. For everyone, using appropriate names and pronouns signals your willingness to be inclusive to everyone," that section of the website reads.
Another part claims that "You cannot guess someone’s gender or pronouns by their appearance!," and soon after that "You can’t always tell someone’s gender by looking at them. Using someone’s correct personal pronouns is respectful and creates an inclusive environment."
Such definitions also earned ire from those who might otherwise be in support. The UK outlet of Metro published a piece on Tuesday, "Johns Hopkins defining lesbians as ‘non-men’ does nothing to help trans and non-binary people."
"In trying to get it right, Johns Hopkins got inclusivity so very wrong. And as communications specialist Aby Hawker points out, these PR blunders do nothing to help the trans and non-binary community," the article mentions at one point.
Others tried to make the appropriate outrage more political than it was. Newsday's reporting, for instance, regarded such reaction as a "flare out" when writing:
The flare-up comes amid a broader backlash to LGBTQ+ rights and the embrace of queer communities by society. Numerous state legislatures across the U.S. have begun passing laws that target transgender communities, taking particular aim at the ability to get gender-affirming care for trans children. There has also been a vocal, if not definitively widespread, lashing out against companies and brands that market to LGBTQ+ communities or hold Pride Month events.
The definition of "lesbian" earned considerable attention over Twitter, with trends of "Johns Hopkins" and "Non-Man" were trending on Twitter, as our friends at Twitchy highlighted.
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