hi, so i recently discovered im more left wing (democratic) than right wing (republican), but im still not the most politically correct. earlier today we were discussing abortion and i said i felt bad for the women who the anti abortion people affect, but my friend corrected me and said i meant “people who get pregnant”, because men (like trans men but still men) can get pregnant. and not all women get pregnant so it doesnt affect them. she said it gently but i feel like an ass</3
Trans man here, in the context specifically of abortion discussions I definitely appreciate it when people try to make their language inclusive, because these issues do affect trans men and nonbinary people as well. But intent is at least as important; if someone is supportive but doesn’t say something ‘perfectly’, that’s not the same as someone saying something with malice or prejudice.
Usually terrible people don’t stop and worry about whether or not they’ve been hurtful to others. More importantly, don’t let anyone on the internet make you feel like you need to come to them for absolution. You’re the person that knows the most about your inner life and actions to determine whether or not you’re a bad person, and you have the capacity for moral reasoning. Do you think you’re a bad person for not remembering to use inclusive language 100% of the time? Is perfection a reasonable bar to expect for yourself in this regard? Do you think you hurt anyone with your comment, and if so did you make amends? Is the guilt you feel proportional to the amount of harm caused?
You don’t have to answer any of this here, just a suggestion for things to think about.