Language matters.
At least I sure hope it does or I guess I’m not much use, am I? (Don’t answer that.)
So when I was researching information about Riverway Golf Course being named the best in the Lower Mainland, I came across something in the language that bothered me.
The Riverway website is operated by the City of Burnaby. So is the website for the Burnaby Mountain Golf Course website.
Both of these sites include maps of the courses with the yardages for men and women.
The problem, for me, is that in listing the yardage for women (even that seems like an archaic listing in this day and age because there are women who are big hitters), the city doesn’t actually call them “women” – the city calls them “ladies.” (It should be noted that I couldn't find any other use of the word 'ladies' on the city's web pages.)
They have men listed as, well, men, but women are “ladies.”
Why does this matter? Well, language is often used as a way of demeaning a certain segment of the population. Many terms people have long used are rightly being called out for sexist, racist or transphobic undertones.
The word “ladies” is an outdated term that an increasing number of women want gone from the English language.
There’s also the fact that the city doesn’t list men as “gentlemen” (an equally outdated term) so it comes across as weird to have men listed as “men” and women as “ladies.” There’s a clear separation in the language.
It’s like when people refer to men as “men” but women as “girls.” There’s a demeaning quality to calling an adult woman a girl. Many feel the same way about the use of the term “ladies.”
As I mentioned above, why even make the yardages about men and women? Why not just list them as longer and shorter tee distances? That seems like an easy fix.
Now, it is true that the women’s professional tour still calls itself the Ladies Professional Golf Association, but this is a city website we’re talking about.
A city needs to be more sensitive about its language to make all of its citizens feel welcome. It’s time Burnaby got with the times and fixed this.
You can follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44
