As I left the gym yesterday after a very refreshing swim, I followed the arrows on the floor to the exit. Two men were coming in, walking side-by-side together towards me, rather than one behind the other on the arrows facing the other direction. I did not engage, but I did motion with my hand for them to move away. One of them called me the gender slur. I called him out on this, telling him that word was completely unacceptable and that this was a matter of just following safety guidelines. Coward that he was, he kept walking directly into the men’s locker room. I spoke with the manager reviewing what had happened and saying that everyone, including me and every woman, had a right to feel safe in the gym, not only because of COVID but because of this kind of threat and intimidation. I suggested to him that something be posted, directing gym members to follow safety guidelines and warning members about directing any kind of slurs towards another member. He did agree with me.

I understand that there are some who have a different view and feel that they would like to use this word and embrace it in order to undercut its vile meaning. This is an exercise in futility. This word is directed at women for a very specific reason. It is a word that should be used only in the kennel, referring to dogs. Any slur that is directed at someone, whether on the basis of gender, race, nationality, religion, or sexual orientation/gender identity, is meant to wound, undermine, and express a superiority over another. Slurs are meant to make the person at whom they are directed feel marginalized, inferior, and like “the other.” The gender slur is directed at elected officials as it was at Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez; at the first female candidate for president, Hillary Clinton; and as it is being directed at the first female Black vice-presidential candidate, Senator Kamala Harris. The word is directed at women in the legal profession, including Judges, media, corporations, medical field, educational institutions, sports and the military. I am asking all male family members, friends, and colleagues to challenge anyone who uses the word: whether it is at work, a sport setting, social setting, or any other place where it is used. And I hope that women, especially with the example of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, can feel they too, can speak up when somebody tries to demean them with the gender slur. I only caution that women make sure they are in a safe place when they do so. This kind of behavior must be reported, whether it is in a gym, workplace, social club, or anywhere else. There is no place for this word in our society.

There are some who dismiss this as “political correctness.” Historically, that phrase was developed by a male who objected to the gains which were made by women and minorities through civil rights, asserting that “human rights are corrupted into being a vehicle for political correctness.” This dismissive phrase has become a part of everyday dialogue in order to diminish the concerns of women and minorities. We must reject these continued attempts to demean us and sideline us. We cannot allow another generation of women coming up behind us, including our daughters and granddaughters, to be subjected to these attacks. It is time to speak up and speak out. No thank you to the gender slur but thank you to the generations of women before us who have fought for our rights and our dignity. And thank you to Women and the Law for developing the “Women Under Attack Initiative.” This work is a continuation of the work that has been carried on by countless women in the legal profession, reaching back at least since Anita Hill was able to expose sexual harassment in her testimony before Congress against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas.