The right-wing war on the English language continues. First, conservatives decided they want nothing to with pronouns — even Donald Trump himself said he doesn’t “want pronouns” this summer, leading to his accidental coming-out as nonbinary. Now, they’re claiming that using adjectives negates your gender.
The saga began when right-wing podcaster Joey Mannarino came to social media with what he seemed to think was a “gotcha” moment.
“If transgender women are women, what is the word ‘transgender’ there for?” he asked in a post with 1.1 million views on X. “My wife is a woman and she doesn’t call herself ‘transgender.’ My mom is a woman and she doesn’t call herself ‘transgender’. My female relatives are women, and they don’t call themselves ‘transgender’.”
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Newsflash, Mannarino: those women probably don’t call themselves transgender because — *gasp* — they’re not transgender. And yet, folks in Mannarino rallied in agreement with him, saying that using the word “transgender” somehow proves that transness isn’t real.
Right?
— 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 (@RedPillReport) November 20, 2024
Why the distinction, if they are “real women?”
Who are they trying to convince?
The answer is: Themselves.
That’s a great point! I would love to hear the liberal taking heads answer it!
— Tom Young (@brui4ns1) November 20, 2024
The rest of the internet, meanwhile, was quick to marvel at how Mannarino has apparently never encountered an adjective or learned how they work. Could verbs be next on the conservative chopping block?
Related
Remember Trump voter regret? Well, unsurprisingly, it’s back with a vengeance.
Lots of folks tried to educate Mannarino on how adjectives work by subbing other descriptors into his own example. When we call women “blonde,” “American,” or “British,” does it mean they’re no longer women? It’s a real thinker, we know — but with enough study, maybe Mannarino will figure it out.
If blonde women are women what's the "blonde" for?
— Ms. 사라 애반스-탤런 🎀 💖 🏴🏳️🌈 (@MsSarahET) November 20, 2024
If American women are women, what is the word "American" there for?
— 𝙻𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚍𝙰𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎 (@LeaveHeardAlone) November 20, 2024
If British women are women, what is the word "British" there for?
— Dara (@DanaTano501) November 20, 2024
My wife is a woman and she doesn’t call herself "British"
My female relatives are women, and they don't call themselves "British".
Know who does though?
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