[Linkspam] my letter in the Spring 2009 issue of UU World

[edenfalling]

There was an article about 'rankism' in the last issue of UU World, which had a sentence that made no gramatical sense and could only be interpreted properly by relying on a learned, sexist idea of how the world is organized. I found that very interesting, especially in the context of an article about trying to combat prejudice.

So I wrote to UU World, and they printed a version of my letter!

...

Granted, their printed version publicly displays the thinko that I noticed a day after I sent the email -- "innate" instead of "ingrained" -- which makes me look a bit of an idiot before the world, but still. They printed my letter!

(My original version also contained a rather snide grammar lesson on ways to rewrite the sentence in a gender-neutral fashion, but it's probably for the best that those bits were cut.)

---------------

ETA: Given that there is a privacy discussion going around livejournal (yet another iteration of RaceFail09; you can find some good starting links on metafandom), I should make a few points clear. The letter is written under the outer two of my legal names. I actually have two internet presences, each with their own email address: one for fanfiction and livejournal, and the other for family, business, church, and school. I am okay with linking from my fannish life to my everyday life, but not vice versa. Also, while I am okay with people knowing my outer two names, I ask that you not use them here, because I would like to make it at least minimally tricky for potential future employers to trace that identity back to me-as-Liz and realize what I do with my free time.

Thank you in advance!

Comments

[smokyglass.livejournal.com]

Congratulations!

I just read your letter and I read she as the executive. You're totally right. Also, if I may ask: why is your internet name Liz?

[valles-uf.livejournal.com]

...this letter published under a pseudonym for your protection?

[willowgreen.livejournal.com]

Bless you for sending that letter. Between the ugly layout, the mediocre writing, the muddy thinking, and the general downer attitude, I'm finding UU World nearly unreadable these days. When the only intelligent things in the magazine are the letters criticizing last month's articles, you know you're in trouble.