Thanks for reviewing these thoughts, Ron. I am in full agreement with all of your points! Linda Leslie
On May 29, 2015, at 11:43 AM, Ron Blechner via Callers <[email protected]> wrote: > For reference, my own thoughts on the terms, and a general FAQ about gender > free terms: > http://contradances.tumblr.com/post/113203981035/genderfree-contra-dance-term-faq > > I have not updated it with gems / rubies. > > I like jets / rubies, but I think gems / rubies is better: > > 1. I disagree that the "em" sound is harder to hear than the "et" in jet. > Good mic skills / having a foam pad on a mic will dull the sharp "ts" in > "gents", and thus, "jets". Because a loud "ts" on the mic is harsh. > Therefore, this argument against "gems" is not an issue. > > 2. A lot of people don't know "jet" is a gemstone, and so they think > airplane. I've had a lot of gender free dancers complain about this. Given > that the terms need to serve the LGBTQ community, and not merely us as > callers, I take this complaint seriously. Thus, "gem" is a better choice. > > 3. Yes, a ruby is a gem. So what? They're both gems. > > 4. There's a gender connotation to thinking jet = airplane, since it's either > phallic, or people think the NY/NJ football team, or the West Side Story > fictional gang. Again, the terms are here to serve the dancers, not merely us. > > 5. Gem has all the same advantages as jet. > > I thus think gem / ruby is a superior pair than jet / ruby. > > Ron Blechner >
