Airline PC Language: It's For The Birds

Here we go yet again!  Now it's the airlines that want to force people into using politically correct language. When will this madness stop?

They say normal words are "offensive"? I'll tell you what's offensive: expecting the majority of English speakers to change their language for a minority of  perpetually-triggered whiners! Someone should conduct a poll to see how many people are actually "offended" by words like man and mother. I doubt it's very many.

Since politically correct language was foisted on us years ago, I have never once changed the words I use.

Rather than this nonsense, why aren't the airlines focused on preventing their planes from having constant mechanical problems?

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Pilot union suggests phasing out masculine terms, says 'cockpit,' 'father' is offensive to DEI culture; The term 'cockpit' derives from 16th century bird fighting

FIRST ON FOX – The world's largest airline pilot union suggested airmen and women stop using terms purportedly offensive to women and LGBTQ individuals, calling out terms like "cockpit" as non-inclusive. 

Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, represents over 70,000 pilots worldwide and states that it collaborates with a United Nations agency on its policies. According to a diversity, equity and inclusion language guide released in 2021, the ALPA lists numerous terms and phrases to avoid — especially "masculine generalizations" — that it deemed to be non-inclusive.

"Inclusive language in communications is essential to our union’s solidarity and collective strength and is an important factor in maintaining flight safety," the guide states. "The purpose of this language guide is to offer examples of terms and phrases that promote inclusion and equity."

ALPA, for example, suggested replacing the word "cockpit" with "flight deck." The purportedly offensive term "has been and may be used in a derogatory way to exclude women in the piloting profession," the guide states

"Many women have heard a variation of ‘It is called a cockpit for a reason’ by a male pilot, suggesting that women do not belong in the piloting profession," the guide said. 

But Wall Street Journal columnist and linguist Ben Zimmer wrote that the term "cockpit" originated from cockfighting in 16th century England.

"The circular pit was surrounded by a barrier to keep the gamecocks from escaping, with spectators" who viewed the "bloody sport" as entertainment, he wrote in 2019.

The term evolved to describe a boisterous and tense atmosphere, according to Zimmer. And by the 18th century, it referred to the area on British warships where surgeons treated the wounded.

"The confined space, the noise, the blood and the fetid air evidently reminded people of the original cockpits," the reporter wrote.

Similarly, ALPA's guide called for the words "man" and "men" to be avoided. It offered suggestions for the word "manpower," including "people/human power."

"Who will provide the people/human power to support this event?" the guide stated as an example.

The guide also suggests avoiding using masculine terms, like "guys," when addressing groups, since the word is not inclusive of "women, transgender people and people with different gender identities." 

ALPA advised against using "mother/father." That phrasing could alienate "different family structures, such as grandparents as caregivers, same-sex parents," among others. Similarly, "husband/wife" and "boyfriend/girlfriend" should be avoided since the phrases could ignore same-sex couples.