[i]Saw this article from Breitbart in the newsfeed from Anglican Mainstream:[/i]
The gender-neutral salutation ”˜Mx’ is to join the titles ”˜Mr’, ”˜Mrs’, ”˜Miss’ and ”˜Ms’ on official documents in the UK. Driving licences, passports, high street banks and even some government departments now accept the title, which is used by people who do not want to identify with a particular gender.
The title is now also under consideration by the Oxford English Dictionary and it may be included in the next edition. The Sunday Times quotes the dictionary’s assistant editor, Johnathan Dent, as saying the new title shows how English can adapt to people’s changing needs.
“When you look at the usual drop-down options for titles, they tend to be quite formal and embrace traditional status such as the relationship between a man and wife, such as Mr and Mrs, or a profession such as Dr or even Lord,” he said. “This is something new.”
Barclays, RBS, Halifax, Santander, Natwest and the Co-operative Bank all use the title, while HSBC is in the process of adding it. The Royal Mail has also introduced Mx on online applications, while Oxford University said it had added the title as it is “the most commonly used and recognised gender neutral title”.
This could get awkward for the British monarchy.
“Its Majesty, the Monarchial Supreme Mx of England!”
M(I)x(ed) (up).
So when do they add the other 39 options (a la Google) to be deployed?
There is a great wrong crying out to be righted. Here in the UK if someone is knighted, his wife becomes a Lady. But if the spouse is same-sex there is no such recognition. Enough of this discrimination! If someone is made a knight and thus becomes Sir Somebody Something, his partner should become a Sir too; if someone is made a Lord, ditto. If a woman is honoured with the title Dame, then her same sex partner should be a Dame too.
Justice demands nothing less. Minorities of the world, unite! You have everything to gain in your titles!
There is nothing like a dame
Nothing in the world
There is nothing you can name
That is anything like a dame.
(“South Pacific”)
Only in the 21st Century could we lose the ability to tell the difference between men and women.
And another thing. Why are degrees awarded for Bachelor or Arts of Master of Science? The offence is rank. Women should able to be Spinster of Arts or Mistress of Science. No, wait, that is playing into gender stereotypes. Instead, how about being Adepts of Arts – no, wait, that offends the handicapped and sounds like something to do with esotericism. I know! We can be at B.A. level Artificer of Arts. And at Master level, Expert of Science, etc.
Actually I had better stop this spoofing. The more I wrote the more it looks like the next campaign some loon will start up. There is no end to this madness. If you doubt that, consider the painfully correct Journal of the American Academy of Religion, where, last time I looked, theological was rendered thea/theological. Why? Because, dear reader, Theos, the Greek word for god, is masculine and so must be balanced by a feminine, just as the Latin alumni these days is rendered alumnae/alumni lest we think that graduates are only male.
Yes, Fr. Tee, if you suggest these things you might find them being implemented the next time you turn around. “There is no end to this madness” is exactly right, including the “madness” part.
I assumed at first it must be a missile, a hush-hush spy plane from Area 51, or a Japanese motocross bike.
” … or a Japanese motocross bike.” Thank you, PM! I needed to laugh just now.