Originally published June 14, 2023 8:00 pm PDT
The university then backtracked and deleted the glossary.
QUICK FACTS:
- Johns Hopkins University released an LGBTQ glossary defining a “lesbian” as “a non-man attracted to a non-man.”
- There was no mention of the term “woman” in the definition.
- The glossary noted that “past definitions refer to ‘lesbian’ as a woman who is emotionally, romantically, and/or sexually attracted to other women,” but the updated definition “includes non-binary people who may also identify with the label.”
- Compared to the erasure of “woman” from the definition of lesbian, there is no change to the definition of a “gay man.”
- The definition of a “gay man” is described as, “A man who is emotionally, romantically, sexually, affectionately, or relationally attracted to other men, or who identifies as a member of the gay community.”
- The glossary explained that “gay” may “refer to all people, regardless of gender, who have their primary sexual and or romantic attractions to people of the same gender. ‘Gay’ is an adjective (not a noun) as in ‘He is a gay man.'”
- Both “lesbian” and “gay man” were part of an expansive webpage of over 60 LGBTQ terms that has since been archived.
- “No glossary could encompass the range of identities and terms that are used within LGBTQIA+ communities,” the introduction to the glossary read. “If you hear a term you don’t recognize, or feel like someone is using a term in a new way, ask the individual what the term means to them. This glossary is meant as an introduction to the community, and is not the definitive answer as to how everyone understands these terms.”
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY BACKTRACKS:
- Upon widespread criticism, the university removed the LGBTQ glossary.
- The university instead published a statement on the webpage reading, “Johns Hopkins strives to create a campus culture that is inclusive and welcoming for all gender identities, sexual orientations, experiences and viewpoints, and we are committed to ensuring Johns Hopkins is a place where LGBTQ people feel supported.”
- “The LGBTQ Glossary serves as an introduction to the range of identities and terms that are used within LGBTQ communities, and is not intended to serve as the definitive answers as to how all people understand or use these terms. While the glossary is a resource posted on the website of the Johns Hopkins University Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI); the definitions were not reviewed or approved by ODI leadership and the language in question has been removed pending review,” the statement continues.
BACKGROUND:
- In 2022, both Cambridge University and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary altered definitions to fit a “non-binary” narrative.
- Cambridge University altered the definition of “woman” to read, “an adult who lives and identifies as female though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth.”
- The Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s definition of “female” now includes the statement, “having a gender identity that is the opposite of a male.”
