This section is going to be pretty blunt, so be prepared. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Regarding swear words, most people are caught in a moral dilemma. Yes, swearing technically is “bad,” but aren’t swear words just words that society has alienated? Don’t they serve the function of language just as well as other words? Don’t they sometimes do a better job?

There is a beautiful movement happening with millennials and subsequent generations. More and more people are recognizing the power of language--the power to overpower and the power to empower. Some formerly “bad” or “offensive” words, such as “pussy” or “bitch,” are now being used as empowerment labels. Now, this movement isn’t endorsed by everyone; it’s probably not even endorsed by a majority of people… but it’s happening.

I’ve seen many examples of people who support this movement; I can find multiple pages on Instagram that proclaim “power to the pussy” and other strong messages. One platform in particular, Buzzfeed Video on YouTube, has exceptional influence. Because the media is so widespread these days, people all over the world are being empowered by Buzzfeed’s open minded messages.

For those who aren’t familiar with Buzzfeed, it’s a media company that takes special care to represent minorities or formerly oppressed people groups. You can find video producers who are LGBTQ+, non-Caucasian, biracial, or all of the above--and more. It’s an incredibly empowering position for these people; with Buzzfeed, they are able to show the world just how powerful they are, even after all the years of oppression and discrimination. Of course, discrimination still exists today--but as a species, we should be working to get rid of prejudice.

Going back to the discussion on offensive terms, I would like to point out how Buzzfeed has given certain terms a new meaning. In the past, people would use the word “pussy” as a derogatory term to say that something (or someone) is weak. However, the new movement quickly realized that pussies--or vaginas--are definitely not weak; in fact, without their extreme strength and power, the human race would not exist. Children literally enter the world through a pussy. Why, then, should that be a derogatory term?

The swear word, “bitch,” has also been historically seen as a bad thing. It’s usually seen as a girl who is bossy or annoying. Hmm. I think there’s something wrong here. Why is a bossy girl suddenly associated with the adjective “annoying”?

An empowerment organization, LeanIn.org, recently started a movement to combat this issue. Their campaign is called #BanBossy. They point out the fact that when a female asserts her authority, she’s seen as “bossy” or “bitchy.” However, when a male does the same thing, people usually applaud him for being a “good leader” and “taking initiative.” The #BanBossy organization works to get rid of the stigma behind the word “bossy” so that little girls around the world can feel safe and empowered to assert themselves from a young age.

By using “bitch” not as a derogatory term, but as a way to describe a confident woman, we can change the way the world sees people--we can change the way the world accepts a Headstrong Mama.

#BanBossy provided many facts about the way girls view themselves in today’s world. The confidence gap between genders starts young, since even children can understand the words being used to describe their actions. It’s shown that between the ages of elementary school children and high school children, girls’ self confidence levels drop 3.5 times more than boys’. No child’s self confidence should drop as they get older; rather, they should be getting more and more confident in themselves and their ability to do good for the world.

This movement is working to get rid of the societal gender gap, which is rooted in the different language used to describe different genders. It’s just the first step in getting rid of the wage gap as well. Of course, I haven’t even addressed nonbinary genders yet; don’t worry, I’ll get there.

I know I keep veering from the topic of this section--which is offensive language--but all this information is relevant. There are so many conversations going on about what is the best way to raise a child, linguistically. Some say that we should teach our children proper names of genitals from the get-go, so that there isn’t a taboo stigma surrounding the subject. In the future, these children would be less afraid to learn about their sexual health--and they’d be less afraid to express their sexuality.

Your sex is the biological stuff you were born with. Your gender is the label you identify as. Nothing can take that away from you, and no matter how you identify, you are no less a human than the rest of the world.

Why do some people still use offensive terms to describe LGBTQ+ people? This goes way, way back to the beginning of this whole series: xenophobia. In a sense, different sexualities and gender labels can seem “foreign” to people who have not been exposed to it before; this can lead to them being afraid, and thus resorting to using offensive terms as a defense mechanism.

The more we have these discussions, and less we use name-calling in a derogatory manner, the better off the world will be. So much of the weight that language carries is because of rules that were traditionally imposed by society.

For example, the traditional image of a “man” is someone who is muscular and tough; for a “man,” showing any emotion is a sign of weakness. The traditional image of a “woman,” however, is someone who does show a lot of emotions. Does this make women inherently weaker than men?

Absolutely not.

Just because society has created language labels hundreds--or even thousands of years ago--doesn’t mean that these need to hold true today. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: language is constantly changing. These traditional values continue to be proven wrong, time and time again.

Gone are the days where a “woman” only means a stay at home mom. If you identify as a woman and you are a stay at home mom, go you! By all means, you are your definition of the word “woman.” If you identify as a woman and you are in the Armed Forces, go you! By all means, you are your definition of the word “woman.” If you identify as a woman and you were born in a male body, go you! By all means, you are your definition of the word “woman.”

The same goes for men; the same goes for transgender; the same goes for nonbinary. You are no less of a man, even if you can’t shoot whiskey. You are no less of a man, even if you like to bake cupcakes. You are no less of a man, even if you like other men. “Gay” is not a derogatory term; if that’s what you identify as, own it. The power of the word comes from the ones who embody it the strongest.

This is the age of equality--for all genders, binary or nonbinary. This is the age of equality for all races, for all sizes, for all sexualities. This is the age for all humans.

And it starts with the language we choose to use.