Cor Hutton: Why sexist labels are worse than political correctness gone bad – The Sunday Post

A few weeks ago, actress Emma Watson announced she wanted to be considered self-partnered rather than admitting to be Shock! Horror! single.

She came in for some stick from some quarters but I must admit I have a bit of an issue with titles, too.

For example, why is it a guy can be Mr, pure and simple, but a woman has to announce her marital status to every online shop, postman or delivery person?

Being a bit mature (amusingly), I struggle with Miss sounding like nobody loves me and Ms suggesting failed marriage so I often resort to using one of my honorary Dr titles to beat the system.

I should point out that I am not particularly politically correct.

Obviously, I try not to offend, but arent we overthinking things a bit?

Ive been involved in debates about the use of many words used to described amputees.

For example, labelling someone disabled when they are more than able in many ways can be patronising, but then others are offended by the term able-bodied.

A parking attendant once asked me if I had a disabled car to which I replied that my car was very able, thank you, its the driver you have to worry about! Theres also confusion over what an accessible toilet is (the preferred word for disabled loos) and some amputees hate the word stump or think the word amputee defines them.

I prefer to pick the easiest way to describe myself, when needed.

Its easier to say Im an amputee rather than a person who has lost limbs or say my stumps rather than my little legs which requires more explaining.

Being an amputee with stumps doesnt define me entirely, but it has played a part in who Ive become as a person, but then so has motherhood and sepsis, among other things!

This subject of labels came up last week when I met with diabetes experts to see how my charity, Finding Your Feet, could work with them.

Its thought that 40% of all amputations are as a result of diabetes and in many cases, this could be avoided by lifestyle changes, so we are trying to help people make these changes. During our meeting, the big guns in diabetes health care corrected me when I referred to someone as a diabetic.

Apparently, the better term is someone living with diabetes. Also, its now wrong to say you can reverse type 2 diabetes but you can put it in remission.

Well, a day later, my new friend in the hospital waiting area told me he was a diabetic and I felt it my duty to explain to him that term was offensive to himself! and we laughed at the new PC rules.

He then proudly told me that actually he wasnt a diabetic any more, having reversed his illness by choosing to look after his body better.

Again, I explained that actually he wasnt cured, he was in remission.

Thankfully, he had a good sense of humour and enough self-confidence to joke about it, at least its a reminder for him to stick with the new lifestyle.

The moral is, if its not broke, dont fix it.

Im way too busy with my everyday issues and family life to get offended by a politically incorrect word, provided it wasnt said with malice.

Something that does need an overhaul, though, are the antiquated female titles that define women in the context of their relationship history.

Trust me, Im a doctor.

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Cor Hutton: Why sexist labels are worse than political correctness gone bad - The Sunday Post