I just read Beth Young's post, after sending my post. Wanted to note that I have had lesbian friends and students who refer to their partners as "my wife". Ha! I wonder what the objector would say to that ... I have to say, however, that I am not dismissive of the so-called political correctness movement in either language or other social behavior. As with so many social changes, the pendulum has perhaps swung a little too far in the opposite direction, but better that than that it should swing back to the demeaning insensitivity that maltreated groups have had to suffer for centuries. The correctness should be equal-opportunity, though ... "innocent women and children", a common phrase in wartime, assumes that all men are guilty combatants and therefore legitimate cannon fodder. And I don't find sexist jokes about men any more amusing than sexist jokes about women or gays. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Johanna Rubba Associate Professor, Linguistics English Department, California Polytechnic State University One Grand Avenue • San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 Tel. (805)-756-2184 • Fax: (805)-756-6374 • Dept. Phone. 756-2596 • E-mail: [log in to unmask] • Home page: http://www.cla.calpoly.edu/~jrubba ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/