Both online and offline, social normative gendering is evident in many ways and contexts. Everything from folks being assumed a normative gender in a polite public conversation, to products in the health and well-being sections of stores, clothes, toys, mass media, etc. While identity safe-spaces online and offline in my personal experience, seem to be improving, the change is mostly based on idenity-safe language becoming normalized and in turn, social spaces more inclusive because of visibility. Wikipedia, whether intentionally or not, supports and is part of the social change taking place to create identity-safe spaces both online and offline. Online, using gender-neutral language allows for any folks being described, citations and sources not to have their gender-identity assumed or become part of hegemonic gendering from editors who may not know how a person identifies. Furthermore, at times, gendering may be irrelevant to the article and content.
Mostly, social change occurs through both smaller instances of activism and more extensive outreach. The gender-neutral language used on Wikipedia signifies activism efforts that contribute to creating identity-safe spaces online and as a result, are a part of an intersectional social movement. Collectively identity-safe language and spaces in mass media and pop culture are necessary to confront hegemonic ideas of gender. Within Wikipedia’s policy, folks who embody many social locations may feel further welcomed to make contributions to Wikipedia articles. Ultimately, the more diverse and marginalized communities that have access to these articles and also feel safe, making contributions are part of the activism that challenges several social normatives.
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