The prestigious Johns Hopkins University has erased the word ‘women’ from a newly produced ‘inclusive language guide’ in its definition of the term ‘lesbian’.
The Baltimore-based university is known for its excellence in education and research, particularly in the field of medicine and recognized as one of the top medical institutions in the world.
Yet the establishment appears to fall well short when it comes to basic terminology involving the sexes in the university’s LGBTQ+ glossary.
The extensive glossary is filled with definitions that aim to be inclusive, reflecting an evolving understanding of gender and sexual identity.
But the current definition of ‘lesbian’ describes it as ‘a non-man attracted to non-men’. Many feminists were particularly infuriated that the word ‘woman’ was vanquished – while their gay male counterparts were still referred to as ‘men.’
The glossary is emblematic of the current struggle being faced by supporters of transgender rights who none the less claim that the word ‘women’ is ‘being erased’ in favor of woke terms such as ‘birthing people’ and ‘menstruators’.
In some cases, lesbian women have also complained of being bullied and shamed if they refused to have sex with transgender women who still have penises.
Johns Hopkins’ new guide is likely to inflame that ongoing argument further.
Supporters say the controversial terms are inclusive of transgender men and non-binary people, but critics say they effectively erase another historically-oppressed minority – women – at the expense of a tiny minority.
Some organizations have reached a compromise by publishing guides using phrases like ‘women and birthing people’ – but Johns Hopkins has made no such concessions.
Many progressives have taken to using terms including ‘pregnant people,’ and even ‘uterus-havers.’
JHU’s definition has been green-lighted by Paula Neira, the Program Director of LGBTQ+ Equity and Education at the university – who is herself transgender.
She works within the school’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity.
Neira chairs the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity workgroup at the university.
She was one of the nation’s leading experts on transgender military service, instrumental in the repeal of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy in the military which allowed gay, lesbian, and bisexual people to serve openly in the Armed Forces.
The entire department Neira works in is overseen by Sherita Hill Golden, M.D. who has the label of Chief Diversity Officer.
Golden, who is black, has helped to implement the university’s ‘Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services Standards’, a system-wide policy prohibiting patient discrimination toward employees and trainees.
Golden also introduced a system-wide unconscious bias and anti-racism train-the-trainer program.
It has led some to accuse the university of erasing women noting how there is an absence of non-binary-inclusive language when it comes to the definition of ‘gay man’ – who are still referred to as ‘men’.
Historically, ‘gay’ has been used specifically for both men and women – and more broadly for all homosexual or bisexual individuals, while ‘lesbian’ had always been a term specific to the female gender.
The current definition of ‘lesbian’ in the Johns Hopkins glossary explicitly acknowledges such a shift from previous definitions aiming to be inclusive of non-binary individuals who identify as lesbian.
Online the outrage was swift and direct: ‘What is this absolute nonsense @JohnsHopkins? ‘Non-men’? We are women. Stop erasing us,’ wrote Amy Curtis.
‘New progressive definition of woman just dropped: We are now ‘non-men’,’ explained Maggie.
‘Why is a lesbian a non-man but a gay person isn’t a non-woman? Progressive misogyny,’ suggested Arielle Scarcella.
‘One of the most prestigious universities in the world reduces women to ‘non-men’ in pursuit of LGBTQ perfection. Now do you see why women are so angry about gender ideology. The erasure of women as a separate sex-class is it’s heart,’ said Susan Dalgety.
‘What the actual f….? So now we’re not just reduced to being body parts or bleeders or a mere subset of women, we’re now ‘non-men”, wrote British TV presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer.
The incident echoes what is a broad backlash from conservatives against LGBTQ+ rights and the increasing acceptance of queer communities in society.
Several state legislatures have passed laws targeting transgender communities, particularly focusing on parental access to gender-affirming care for trans children.
Influenced by a small number of far-right voices, some conservatives have also criticized companies and brands, such a Target and Bud Light, that have marketed products towards LGBTQ+ communities or that participate in Pride Month events.
Johns Hopkins University definition differs from that used by other organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).
The HRC’s defines lesbian as an attraction to women while including references to non-binary lesbians.
The ADL’s definition describes a lesbian as a woman attracted to other women without any additional qualifying sentences.
Both organizations include more flexible definitions of ‘gay’ that encompass all gender identities, with the HRC also uses the term ‘queer’ as an umbrella definition.
The focus on such woke definitions shows just how far Johns Hopkins University has fallen from being one of the world’s most prestigious and revered scientific institutions.
After publication of this story John’s Hopkins contacted DailyMail.com to say the controversial guide had been taken down.
The college also claimed that neither Neira or Golden were involved in creating the definition of ‘lesbian’. The University would not state who was behind the new document.
The university had been known for its rigorous academics, commitment to research and innovation, and its contributions to advancing knowledge and solving complex problems in a wide range of fields.
In recent times, the establishment kept track of a whole host of global data relating to the the coronavirus when it came to cases, deaths and vaccinations around the world.
The university helped develop the first effective treatment for sickle cell anemia in the 1940s, and ten years later was involved in developing the polio vaccine.
In the late 1940s the university was the first to capture images of the Earth’s curvature, from a V-2 rocket and was instrumental in developing the first supersonic ramjet engine.
When it comes to the field of modern neuroscience Johns Hopkins has been at the forefront of pioneering treatment and research including mapping the human genome and developing the first effective cancer immunotherapy.
The university has been a pioneer of cardiac surgery – the school performed the first successful surgical repair of congenital heart defects babies.
Advancements in HIV/AIDS research and treatment has also been at the forefront of work by Johns Hopkins having been actively involved since the early years of the epidemic, developing diagnostic tests for HIV and paving the way for antiretroviral therapies.
But it is not just here on Earth the university’s influence can be felt – the school also has displayed leadership in space exploration and astrophysics.
Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory has been involved in numerous space missions and scientific discoveries including the development of NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, which provided the first close-up images of Pluto and its moons and even helped to land the first spacecraft on an asteroid.