Humanities Decanted: Lal Zimman, Transgender Language Reform: Some Challenges and Strategies for Promoting Trans-Affirming, Gender-Inclusive Language

Join us for a presentation and discussion with Lal Zimman (Linguistics) about his new work, “Transgender Language Reform.” Refreshments will be served.

With a growing societal interest in the experiences of transgender people has come a new kind of awareness about gendered language. Zimman’s recent article, “Transgender language reform: some challenges and strategies for promoting trans-affirming, gender-inclusive language,” takes a linguistic approach to trans-inclusive language by distilling the practices of transgender speakers of English into a series of challenges and potential solutions. A short presentation of his work will be followed by an audience discussion of practical strategies for trans-affirming and gender-inclusive language in the university context.

Lal Zimman is Assistant Professor of Linguistics at UC Santa Barbara. His research takes a broad perspective on trans language, from voices to narratives to terminological choices. His edited volume, Queer Excursions: Retheorizing Binaries in Language, Gender, and Sexuality, won the Association for Queer Anthropology’s Ruth Benedict Prize in 2014.

Sponsored by the IHC’s Harry Girvetz Memorial Endowment.