Well now I've been educated. But I probably learned something other than the intended lesson.

[BainsBane]

83. I am more familiar with the British use

having lived in the UK myself. I take it to be equivalent to p...y here, which is also a gendered insult but not considered as offensive as c..t, which most US women, I believe, feel to be the most insulting, sexist word.

I'm nobody's word police. I'm not making any pronouncements on how Australians, English people, or anyone on DU should speak. As I said, people are free to use any language they choose. I am saying that if someone says that word around me, I know they mean to demean me, and I will judge them accordingly. Whatever linguistic preferences someone has, how they interpret the word, or why they seek to justify its use, does not erase my experience of the word. The advantage of someone's using such language is it enables me to immediately know who they are and not waste a moment imagining they will ever care about women, equality, or civil rights.