E-mail and Google expanded from nouns to verbs also. Weblog, like the one you're reading now, transitioned into blog. What about the meaning of gay or marriage? These are just some examples of how daily the vibrant and organic English language changes shapes, as words emerge, die out and take new meaning.
I'd like to direct you to two previous posts. One of our most popular posts was Ben Finzel's final thoughts on eight words that shouldn't be used in LGBT communications. In it, he explored the negative nuances of such casually used terms as lifestyle, sexual preference and choice. He showed the implied fallacy these words carry and the importance of educating family, friends and foes on their inadequacies.
The other is my post from April where I shared the story of Peter Dubuque and Steve Kleinedler. Steve lost his husband Peter of several years. Having lived as a legally married couple in Boston, Steve shared his experiences at the loss of his husband and the respect and normalcy with which Boston's community treated him.
Steve has become a good friend (thanks Facebook) and follower of the Out Front Blog, and recently shared another insightful piece he wrote on the the constantly evolving English language, specifically when it comes to words surrounding marriage these days. You can read the entire article here in the Advocate.
As editor of The American Heritage Dictionary, Steve defined the job of dictionaries as "primarily to describe how language is used, not to dictate how it should be used." He goes on to discuss the importance of recognizing the more inclusive aspects of "marriage" and "widower" in today's society.
It may seem insignificant, but together there small nuances are helping states unlike Massachusetts and Iowa slowly change towards a more inclusive, equal and productive American society. I encourage you to read Steve's piece entirely and let us know your thoughts here on the Out Front Blog.
Look for a post later today on our thoughts on today's World AIDS Day.
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