All your Friends are Hens. Sweden goes gender-neutral.

[olger]

"All your Friends are Hens

Forget the “his” and “hers.” Sweden has introduced a new, gender-neutral pronoun: “hen.”

The word was added to the online version of the country’s National Encyclopedia days after International Women’s Day. It was sparked by the publication of Sweden’s first ever gender-neutral children’s book, Kivi och Monsterhund (Kivi and Monsterdog). The child, “Kivi,” whose gender is non-specified, wants a dog for “hen’s” birthday.

Toward a Gender-Neutral Society

Newspaper columnists, TV announcers, feminist bloggers, and Swedish gender-neutral educators could not be more pleased. The Nordic country has always advocated gender equality. It has the highest proportion of working women in the world, and females earn about two-thirds of all college degrees. But now, activists want to push the matter to its natural and logical conclusion. They want to abolish gender altogether, and construct a utopian, gender-neutral society. They’re intent on raising up a new generation of children who’ve been freed from the limitations of stereotyped gender roles.

Breaking down gender distinction is a core mission in the national curriculum for Sweden’s preschools. Many have hired “gender pedagogues” (gender police) to help staff identify language and behaviors that risk reinforcing stereotypes. At the taxpayer-funded Egalia preschool in Stockholm, staff avoid using words such as “him” or “her” and address the children as “friends” or “hens” rather than girls and boys.

In these gender-neutral schools, language is regulated, certain forms of play are taboo, and children’s interactions and attitudes are closely monitored by teachers. One Swedish school got rid of its toy cars because boys “gender-coded” them and preferred them over other toys. Another preschool removed “free playtime” from its schedule because, as a pedagogue at the school maintained, “when children play freely, stereotypical gender patterns are born and cemented.” In order to keep things gender neutral, every detail of the children’s interactions are micromanaged by politically correct adults, from how they form friendships, to what games they play and what songs they sing.

Does Language Matter?

Swedes figure that the introduction of a gender-neutral pronoun will help matters along. After all, how can you raise a child in an environment free of gender distinction when the very language you speak distinguishes boys from girls?

They have a point. Language does make a difference. Obliterating gender-distinct pronouns will undoubtedly help obliterate gender distinctions. If you blur the words, you blur the meaning.

For instance, if proponents of gender-inclusive Bible translations were to follow their lead, a few years from now we might crack open the first few pages of Genesis to read this politically-correct, gender-neutralized translation of the text:

“So God created hens in Hen own image, in the image of God Hen created hen; hen and hen Hen created them. . . and the rib that the Lord God had taken from the hen, Hen made into a hen, and brought hen to the hen. . . therefore a hen shall leave hen’s parental hens and hold fast to hen’s hen.”

I’m only half kidding. If they have the audacity to change the language to make it more inclusive, the next logical step is to change it to make it more gender neutral.

The language does matter. “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27, emphasis added). We were created to display His glory. Male and female. He and she. His and hers . . . not hens. The pronouns matter. Gender matters.

Hard to See

Someday, the English language may change. As in Sweden, the politically-correct gender pundits may force it on us. But I, for one, will resist the change. For in stripping our language and lives of gender distinction, we lose the depth and color of the image God has given us to display His glory. We turn off the lights, so to speak. All the rich, vibrant colors and textures fade into dull, monolithic grey. And it becomes hard to see.

And that, no doubt, is Satan’s plan.

When we lose the image, we lose our selves. God did not create gender-neutral beings. God did not speak in gender-neutral language. Therefore, stripping a language of its gender distinctions, and teaching children that they shouldn’t think of themselves as him and her, but as hens, ought to offend our sensibilities and ruffle our collective feathers.

It’s just a horribly bad idea."

http://www.truewoman.com/?id=2092#.T75cpzLnYmk.facebook

[Gail]

Interesting!

[Woody]

cool

[olger]

Something tells me this isn't a real good idea.

I note with interest that the people who are the most disgusted with this gender-neutral story on Facebook - are Godly women. I like that sort of thing.

[LynnDel]

Yeah, let's look at real hens, for instance. They are gifted and productive in their own right. The roosters are prettier and know how to crow, A hen makes a poor rooster, and a rooster makes a poor hen. Everyone needs to know this.

LD

[olger]

LD nails it (with a gender-neutral nail of course).

When we were in Karlstad, we saw some women demonstrating in the town square. I asked one what she was all about. She said "We want Sweden to be more liberal!" I replied "You guys get any more liberal, and Finland's gonna come over here and make you do their laundry." She said "You must be from Texas."

It never occurred to me that I was being offensive when I said "guys." Heaven forgive me.

[phkrause]

Great points Olger

[Windsor]

Another preschool removed “free playtime” from its schedule because, as a pedagogue at the school maintained, “when children play freely, stereotypical gender patterns are born and cemented.”

That is the most telling line of the whole post. When children are allowed to do whatever they want, boys will be boys and girls will be girls. Anything against this natural order has to be artificially maintained and enforced.

[Guest]

Another preschool removed “free playtime” from its schedule because, as a pedagogue at the school maintained, “when children play freely, stereotypical gender patterns are born and cemented.”

[Guest]

When we were in Karlstad, we saw some women demonstrating in the town square. I asked one what she was all about. She said "We want Sweden to be more liberal!" I replied "You guys get any more liberal, and Finland's gonna come over here and make you do their laundry." She said "You must be from Texas."

LOL, so then, did you tell her that you weren't from Texas? :)

[doug yowell]

Great points Olger

Just a quick note: Hens are not gender neutral.

[Guest]

Good point Doug.

[Woody]

Okay. All this Hens talk - is offtopic to the elephant in the room.

[olger]

Is that a bull elephant, then?

Maybe a neutra-phant...

[olger]

Good point Doug.

Good point, Richard!

[Gail]

Originally Posted By: pkrause

Great points Olger

Just a quick note: Hens are not gender neutral.

My thought precisely.

[olger]

We are all in harmonious agreement so far. :)

[Woody]

What about the elephant?

[phkrause]

What about the elephant?

Which one? The male or female?

[LynnDel]

As a sometimes writer, I have often wished for a gender neutral pronoun. Political correctness being the pain that it is, editors want you to be as gender inclusive as possible. Therefore you can't use he and him when you mean to include all the she's and her's. The current options are to speak in the plural, since they and them are gender neutral; use the pronoun one or you; write with the passive voice, which is just as annoying to editors as ignoring the feminine pronouns; or constantly and awkwardly repeat him or her, he or she.

LD

[Woody]

Originally Posted By: Woody

What about the elephant?

Which one? The male or female?

lol

[olger]

PK is sent to the corner for 10-minutes for being gender insensitive!

[phkrause]

PK is sent to the corner for 10-minutes for being gender insensitive!

[doug yowell]

Originally Posted By: olger

PK is sent to the corner for 10-minutes for being gender insensitive!

Good one,G!!

[doug yowell]

As a sometimes writer, I have often wished for a gender neutral pronoun. Political correctness being the pain that it is, editors want you to be as gender inclusive as possible. Therefore you can't use he and him when you mean to include all the she's and her's. The current options are to speak in the plural, since they and them are gender neutral; use the pronoun one or you; write with the passive voice, which is just as annoying to editors as ignoring the feminine pronouns; or constantly and awkwardly repeat him or her, he or she.

LD

Do you sign your pieces It,Me,A, anonymous, or LD?