General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Another Woman In Gaming Flees Home Following Death Threats [View all]KitSileya
(4,035 posts)However, the use of 'female' instead of woman is dehumanizing, and I like to point it out when I see such language. Most often it is used without thinking, and that means that we need to get people to think about it. Words don't have one definite meaning regardless of the context. An 85-year old black man saying "Now, don't get smart with me, boy" to his 60-year old son has not used a racial slur. A white 85-year old man saying the same thing to a 60-year old black man he doesn't know has. Calling a black woman angry has different connotations than calling a white woman angry, and so on.
I fully believe that you are anti-gamergate, that you are not sexist, and that you didn't intend to be sexist. However, using 'female' to refer to a woman in general conversation is sexist language.