One of the most prestigious medical journals in the world has been criticised by conservatives for its use of trans-inclusive language in one of its latest articles.
The Lancet published the article in its “perspectives” section which used the term “bodies with vaginas” to describe ‘women’, instead of using the cis-presumptuous descriptor of ‘women’.
However, questions have arisen regarding the absence of this terminology for trans-women in male bodies.
British Psychologist, Dr Jessica Taylor, who is the author of ‘Why Women Are Blamed For Everything: Exposing the Culture of Victim-Blaming’, described the use of the term as an “atrocity” and asked the journal in a Tweet: “…how you gonna play like you care that female bodies and female biology have been excluded from medicine and science WHEN YOU WONT NAME THEM?”
“I would like to hear @TheLancet explain their scientific rationale for keeping the use of the word ‘men’ ‘male’ and ‘man’ when they are refusing to use the word ‘woman’ ‘women’ and ‘female’. Genuinely, I would like to hear that argument,” she tweeted.
The article, titled ‘Periods on Display‘ is a research paper looking at a range of literature, media and art installations that centre on menstruation, reading: “Historically, the anatomy and physiology of bodies with vaginas have been neglected.”
Female Conservative MP Jackie Doyle-Price chimed in on the debate, suggesting the term “bodies with vaginas” was “dehumanising.”
“’Bodies with vaginas’ I never see dehumanised descriptions of men. No wonder women feel diminished at the hands of medical professionals,” she wrote.
Others across social media weighed in on the debate, slamming The Lancet’s publishing team.
“Bodies with vaginas” is the language of serial killers” suggested one. “Do you also talk about “bodies with penises” or do you grant men the dignity of not being reduced to body parts?”
Dave Curtis, a genetics professor at University College London agreed, deeming the reference as “awful.”
“Just wrote the Lancet to tell them to take me off their list of statistical reviewers and cancel my subscription and never contact me about anything ever again. Absolutely inexcusable language to refer to women and girls.”
One straight trans woman, currently in the process of transitioning, hit back at Doyle-Price however, saying “I mean, you could just use this amazing thing called “google” followed by four screen shots of extracts from medical journals (outside of The Lancet) which use the term “People with prostates” instead of the non-inclusive term of ‘men’.
The journal, which began in 1823 in the UK, may have decided to use the term ‘bodies with vaginas’ to remove gender from the equation: ie not used the term ‘women’, since some trans women do not have vaginas.
Price recently weighed in on a trans rights controversy ignited by British Labour Party MP, Rosie Duffield when she said “only women have a cervix.”
Price agreed with Duffield’s statement, saying, “It is right…only women have a cervix.”
In August, Duffield came under attack for liking a tweet by controversial broadcaster Piers Morgan who condemned a CNN news story about cancer screening for “individuals with a cervix”, saying: “Do you mean women?”
When Duffield was labelled transphobic for appearing to endorse the tweet, she responded: “I’m a ‘transphobe’ for knowing that only women have a cervix… ?!”.
Later, she acknowledged that some trans men have a cervix.