A trans-exclusionary piece promoted by Margaret Atwood got her in hot water.

Margaret Atwood en la BN/Wikimedia (CC-BY-SA) 

According to the subtitle, "Why do we no longer use the word "women?" The author takes issue with the use of gender-neutral terminology.

When The Handmaid's Tale author Margaret Atwood tweeted an article entitled "Why can't we say "woman" anymore?" on Tuesday, it caused a stir. The Toronto Star's Rosie DiManno wrote an essay in which she bemoans the loss of the word "woman" in favor of more gender-inclusive terminology like "bodies with vaginas." As a result, many of the ideas expressed here are known to trans-exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs). DiManno has received flak in the past for writing on comparable subjects.

In response, several of Atwood's Twitter followers expressed their disappointment, pointing out that the word "woman" is not being removed from public conversation as some had hoped. Abortion restrictions and gender-inclusive language are somehow connected, according to the article, even though this isn't true.

Atwood reposted a tweet that said, "We can say women." in response to criticism of the piece. If it's more accurate, we may use the term people. It's important to remember that women are "people." The author did defend Rosie DiManno, however, against allegations of transphobia, despite the article's complaint about "trans activism run amok."

One example of medical prejudice against trans persons is the difficulty trans males have in getting cervical checkups. Health care professionals can be reminded that these services are not just for women by using inclusive language like "people with cervixes" or "pregnant individuals".

When speaking about a big group of people, gender-neutral terminology is more truthful. Pregnant people makes more sense as an all-inclusive news headline on reproductive health than "pregnant women" does for an individual lady.

Mocking and criticizing politicians like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rosie DiManno utilized her platform to claim that they have "jumped the shark" by using gender-neutral vocabulary. Her essay opens with song parodies like "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Person with a Vagina," mocking the assumption that "language radicals" will somehow eliminate the term "woman." Overall, she regards gender-inclusive language as a danger to straight women's rights. Through this line of reasoning, she is also opposing treatment and healthcare for transgender individuals as a whole. Because it's such a hot topic among transphobic feminists, many people were outraged when Margaret Atwood backed this essay.