I would not worry about it. If people get bent out of shape then so be it. Im super liberal but I did not grow up where gender and sex were different things. Im cool with folks being trans but if they want me to change to accomodate them well thats not going to happen. They can live their lives and the law can protect them from discrimination but people will be who they are. Its like if a furry wants me to use some fursona thing thats unlikely to happen. Its cool they have one but im not part of that world but its cool for them to be them. Now granted this might change a bit if Im good friends with someone. At that point they have a bit more points to get me to change my habits. To me its a bit like using a nickname. You do it with those you know.

In my oppinion it’s not the words that are the problem but the intent behind. You can say any phrase hurtfully if you want to. Especially in everyday speach you are also trying to speak with less and easily understandable words. It’s not a scientidfic paper, you don’t say Felis silvestris catus, you say cat.

So nta.

first of all, you’re more than fine, and secondly, people should already understand what you mean when you say “women” in the context of abortion.

the word “woman” has been used historically and socially to refer to uterus-owners, and we have unfortunately not found a good word to replace it since the word “woman” has now been repurposed for the gender role that those people play in society.

it’s a super complex social and language issue that’s only recently been actively discussed, and no one is ever to blame for trying to catch up from the social norms they’ve grown up with.

You did nothing wrong. It’s fucking annoying when people ‘correct’ me for saying something super normal

Hey, trans masc here,

Love the sentiment but don’t feel like an ass. If you want to include us in the sentiment it does some great stuff! It signals to trans and non-binary people who might be in listening range but be closeted or suppressing their needs in the interest of “not making waves” that you are a safe person to be themselves around. A lot of people who “don’t know a non binary person” might not simply because the ones around them are in hiding because onboarding someone to our status is exhausting and sometimes risky so signaling that you’ve already done some the work is AMAZING.

But that being said… Don’t feel guilty. This isn’t a game of right and wrong. “Political Correctness” is a tactic from the 90’s that really didn’t work because it was about policing. It was a cold politeness rather than a meaningful offering of solidarity or a chance to learn and there is a learning curve to allyship and thus a gratitude just for trying or considering a change. That you feel guilty is very sweet but you deserve to be comfortable and happy too. We as a community tend to celebrate people doing us a kindness, not begrudge people. Your friend showed you a spot where you could insert a moment of solidarity in the future if you wanted. That you immediately seem to want to is a rarer gift than you know.

Lefty here. I have a queer wife who identifies as non-binary but still identifies as my wife, as well as plenty of trans and queer people in my social circles, and I don’t see the need to word police myself over completely innocent phrases. I don’t think you’re harming anyone by just saying women, when the men or nonbinary people who can get pregnant constitute like a tenth of a percentage of the population.

I go out of my way to make sure the not-straight people in my life feel safe and comfortable around me, but there’s a certain level of pearl clutching over language that I don’t feel the need to engage with. You aren’t being hateful, you’re treating people like human beings, and you get to decide for yourself how you speak.

I know people will disagree, but as a trans man I personally find language like “people who get pregnant” really dysphoria-inducing and uncomfortable. It’s still better than AFAB/AMAB though.

I don’t think you’re a bad person, because you’re questioning this.

I will say, it’s weird that I’ve seen you and 1 other recent account that has a similar story, both of which are new and posting a lot about Russia. If you’re legit, I hope you can learn about your heritage and also unilaterally denounce what Russia/Putin is doing to Ukraine.

You are not.

To me this sounds like one of these things where some of us lefties can get into the weeds of “perfect” language.

Sure, if you are talking to someone like that and using the wrong words, then that could be kind of shitty but even then if people care about you they will give you grace and just hope you will get it right at some point.

You don’t have to say the right words every time, but when it’s important, you should make an effort to try.

It feels a bit over the top of you’re not directly talking to someone affected. But maybe that’s a me thing.

TL;DR no. You’re good. Don’t take these comments personally but also don’t completely ignore them.

Trans man here, in the context specifically of abortion discussions I definitely appreciate it when people try to make their language inclusive, because these issues do affect trans men and nonbinary people as well. But intent is at least as important; if someone is supportive but doesn’t say something ‘perfectly’, that’s not the same as someone saying something with malice or prejudice.

Usually terrible people don’t stop and worry about whether or not they’ve been hurtful to others. More importantly, don’t let anyone on the internet make you feel like you need to come to them for absolution. You’re the person that knows the most about your inner life and actions to determine whether or not you’re a bad person, and you have the capacity for moral reasoning. Do you think you’re a bad person for not remembering to use inclusive language 100% of the time? Is perfection a reasonable bar to expect for yourself in this regard? Do you think you hurt anyone with your comment, and if so did you make amends? Is the guilt you feel proportional to the amount of harm caused?

You don’t have to answer any of this here, just a suggestion for things to think about.

NTA, just use more inclusive language I think is what she wants :)

I’m going to flip this a bit, do you only feel bad for just the “people who get pregnant who the anti abortion people affect”? Or do you actually feel bad for all the “people who the anti abortion people affect”, like doctors, those trying to use IVF, widowers or even the unwanted children, for example?

Rather than trying to use a more accurately specific term, I think using a more general term is likely easier and is probably more accurate.

yes; the worst.

Not an asshole, just a gentle correction from your friend!

i said i felt bad for the women who the anti abortion people affect, but my friend corrected me and said i meant “people who get pregnant”,

I think you could make a sound argument that anti-abortion people also negatively affect people that can’t get pregnant in a number of ways. One of the prime targets of anti-abortion people is the organization Planned Parenthood. While Planned Parenthood does offer abortion services, they also offer many healthcare related services around other health concerns.

• Planned Parenthood offers services for Menopausal women, who obviously can’t get pregnant
• Planned Parenthood also offers gender affirming hormone therapy for people that need it

So both of these groups are clearly people that can’t get pregnant, but are also negatively affected when anti-abortion people’s actions lead to a shut down of a local clinic serving these populations.