'Handyman' is sexist, university's pronouns guide argues

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) recently updated its “History of Pronouns” page, arguing that “pronouns are constantly evolving in political ways.”

Included is a short history of English pronouns, a map of different languages categorized by whether they do or do not have gendered pronouns, and a resources page.

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Gender-neutral terms referred to on the map page include “latin@,” “latinx,” and “latine,” to be used to refer to someone of Hispanic descent in a gender-neutral way.

Under the “History Resources” section, a “Practical Guide to Non-Sexist Language” can be found.

According to the guide, the terms “freshman,” “handyman,” and “tomboy” are all sexist and should be replaced by, respectively, “first-year student,” “odd-job worker,” and “active child.” 

Other allegedly problematic phrases the guide lists include “black tie gala” (which needs to be replaced with “semiformal”), “their wives” (to be replaced with “their spouses”), and “craftsmanship” (to be replaced with “craftship”).

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Recommended books are also part of UIC’s History of Pronouns page. “Beyond the Gender Binary,” “The Pragmatics of Personal Pronouns,” and “What’s Your Pronoun? Beyond He & She” are just a few of the titles that can be found. 

UIC and UIC LGBTQ resources were contacted for this story and it will be updated as needed.