language

Language Wars: Callouts Obscure Vital Truths About Disabilities

an illustration of a light-skinned person screaming out of a screen toward other disabled people
by s.e. smith
November 1, 2021 at 10:52am
Talking about words and language use matters, especially when ableist or disablist language can enforce harmful beliefs about disability and disabled people.
an illustration of two darker-skinned people working, one in the bed and the other at a desk, with a shadow of a boss standing between them

The Complex Future of Post-Pandemic Work

by Julia Métraux
November 1, 2021 at 10:50am
The COVID-19 pandemic has proven that remote work is possible for many industries. Read more »
Photo of author Amanda Montell, with shoulder length blonde hair, standing in front of a red background in a white top.

Capitalism Is a Cult, and You’re Already a Lifetime Member

by Grace Ebert
June 15, 2021 at 12:27pm
Similar to the language of scams and gaslighting, cultish language purposely obscures and confuses both followers and nonbelievers. Read more »
A plus size Black person with cropped pink hair speaks to a friend, who is white and has short dark hair.

The X Factor: One Letter, Multiple Identities, and a Complex Future

by Oliver Haug
March 11, 2021 at 3:18pm
How the gender-neutral “x” became a contemporary paradox. Read more »
an illustration of geometric shapes in different colors that feature various pronouns, including she, they, zir, and hir

Subject to Change: The Pronoun Discourse Has Always Been Versatile

by Trimble
August 26, 2020 at 12:29pm
The singular “they” is an important survival tool for those of us who struggle to fit into the world as it currently is. Read more »
Various brown women make and share bread made by hand over a fire

Ghost in My Mouth: A Modern Diaspora’s Endangered Language

by Aditi Natasha Kini
August 6, 2020 at 10:07am
Konkani has nearly 13 million speakers and a growing diaspora continuing the tradition of migrant language. Read more »
Image of Vermeer's Girl with the Pearl Earring overlaid with a photo of Rhianna lighting a cigarette

Bad Mouths: The Long History of Sanitizing Women’s Language

by Rachel Klein
July 15, 2019 at 2:12pm
Many of us think of washing someone’s mouth out with soap as an outdated punishment for ill-tempered children, but for a long time it was also commonplace as a corrective for women. Read more »