Sexist Undertones in Everyday Language Reveals Androcentrism

By Leslie Quan

My friend and I were walking around 30th Street Station in Philadelphia when a man sitting on one of the benches said to my friend, "Why don't you take you and your girl over here on one of these swings?"

The first issue I have with this man's question is that he assumed my friend and I are a couple, which we are not; and the second issue I have is that he said "your girl" when referring to me. First of all, I am not a possession. I cannot be owned by anyone, even if I was in a relationship. By using "your," this stranger gave ownership over me to my friend, who is masculine presenting and identifies as bisexual.

This reveals the androcentric society we live in. Where men are the center of everything, with our everyday language as no exception. A more appropriate phrase that he could have used may have been "Come check out these cool swings" or something along those lines.

As gender-neutral or gender-inclusive language becomes more common, people should also be made aware that a relationship between two people no longer only consists of a man and a woman. It is unacceptable and inexcusable to assume the gender identity of someone or judge a relationship that they are in.

A few days ago, I was on the phone with a receptionist about my insurance coverage and she asked me who the carrier is. I told her my mom's name and she immediately said, "Is that your husband?" As a 21-year-old woman, I can say for certain that I am not married and therefore I do not have a husband.

First of all, the receptionist assumed that the carrier of our insurance was a man; and second of all, she assumed that because I am a woman, I must be married. This type of androcentric mindset is highly problematic. Men don't have to be and aren't always the breadwinner of the household or relationship. Not all women are married and they don't need or have to be. As I always tell my mom, "I'm a strong independent woman and I don't need no man."

We need to stop using androcentric language. It promotes a patriarchal society that I am not interested in living in. Androcentrism oppresses and exploits everyone who is not considered or identifies as a man. That's why it is imperative that we move away from putting men at the center of our world. Men hold privileges that threaten the safety, well-being, and rights of women and the LGBTQIA+ community.