JOANNA ALLHANDS

When did 'womyn' get so sensitive?

Joanna Allhands
opinion columnist
Women, womyn: Does it really make any difference?

I saw a new spelling for women today. At first, I thought autocorrect had struck again.

But no. Apparently, this is a thing. Some people insist that it be spelled "womyn" to avoid any references to men. As if the last three letters in the word somehow demean females everywhere.

Even Merriam-Webster recognizes it as a variant spelling.

Sigh.

I get the need to be sensitive -- to a point. It doesn't help anyone's position to callously offend others because "I have a right to say what I want" or to perpetuate slurs because "that's what we've always said."

You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, right?

But some humans (humyns?) have taken this sensitivity thing too far. They expect everyone to walk on eggshells and complain when people balk at their demands.

We've seen this with the Confederate flag and, to a lesser extent, Washington Redskins logo debates. What started out as interesting and provocative arguments about race and how we tell our history have devolved into yelling matches at Walmart and canceled reruns of "The Dukes of Hazzard."

We're getting our shorts all up in a bind over stuff that doesn't matter, leaving very real and important debates about free speech, civility and inequality in the dust.