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Subject:RE: On Avoiding Gender Bias From:Tothscribe -at- aol -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 13 Dec 2001 09:41:53 EST
> Has anyone tried ping ponging between gender
> references, so that it balances out over the
> course of the document?
I've read documents like that, but I don't write them because they just seem "odd" to me. It's not as clunky as his/her, but it still draws attention to itself.
Whenever possible I use direct address, which makes the documents seem less imposing and more readable anyway: "You need your ID card to get into this facility."
When that's barred, I go to neutral imperative: "ID cards are necessary to enter this facility."
And then finally flip to plural: "All who wish" etc.
Like Keith, I'm a proponent of using plural pronouns regardless of antecedant, but my bosses have yet to see the light. So far, I've been able to avoid sexism by using one of the three approaches above.
Nea Dodson
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