So, the discussion over the usage of 'pussy' in the 9/11 thread prompted me to create this thread.
Here's what I think: the fact that most derogatory words related to gender are feminine both means that we associate a bunch of negative concepts to feminity, and it helps those associations to stay there. It doesn't matter if you say 'be a pussy' or 'cry like a girl' (and homosexuality-related insults, for that matter) in a totally-non-sexist-way, because the association is still there and you are using it!
Before you come up with negative words associated to masculinity, let me tell you: those are bad too! They are associated to 'masculine' characteristics, opposed to the feminine ones and still lock genders in pre-defined roles.
Here's an interesting read related on this last idea:
www.alternet.org/story/156194/what_about_the_men_why_our_gender_system_sucks_for_men%2C_too?page=entire&paging=off
Another point is that I think that with racists words, for instance, this is different because they don't have the negative characteristics as clearly associated with them (they work with the idea that being of a certain race is bad by itself, whereas the gendered terms work with the idea that each gender has certain negative characteristics).
Here's what I think: the fact that most derogatory words related to gender are feminine both means that we associate a bunch of negative concepts to feminity, and it helps those associations to stay there. It doesn't matter if you say 'be a pussy' or 'cry like a girl' (and homosexuality-related insults, for that matter) in a totally-non-sexist-way, because the association is still there and you are using it!
Before you come up with negative words associated to masculinity, let me tell you: those are bad too! They are associated to 'masculine' characteristics, opposed to the feminine ones and still lock genders in pre-defined roles.
Here's an interesting read related on this last idea:
www.alternet.org/story/156194/what_about_the_men_why_our_gender_system_sucks_for_men%2C_too?page=entire&paging=off
Another point is that I think that with racists words, for instance, this is different because they don't have the negative characteristics as clearly associated with them (they work with the idea that being of a certain race is bad by itself, whereas the gendered terms work with the idea that each gender has certain negative characteristics).