L.A. SPEAK

I’m PC, you’re PC. Some terms for our politically correct age, with help from “Are You PC?” (Ten Speed Press).

animal companion n .: pet. “Sappho, my animal companion, barfed all over the apartment while I was on vacation.”

differently sized adj.: overweight.

gynephobia n. : fear of women.: “Life would certainly be different if there weren’t so many gynephobes in Congress.”

handism n .: bias against left-handers.

lookism n .: practice of basing opinions on physical appearance. “L.A. is very possibly the most lookist place on earth.”

ovulars n. : seminars for “womyn.”

people of color n. : non-Caucasians.

physically challenged adj .: physically disabled. “We need to make the city more accessible for the physically challenged. “

pre-women n. : teen-age girls.

recovering racists n. : people who have realized they are racist and reforming their attitudes. “I admit it. I am a recovering racist, but I’m working on it.”

scent-free environment n. : an event at which no one can wear anything scented.

sizeism n. : prejudice against the differently sized.

temporarily abled n. : term to describe the non-physically challenged. Also temporarily physically privileged. walkperson n. : portable stereo. “I had my walkperson on, so I couldn’t hear you.”

womyn n. : woman, but without the man. : Synonyms: wimmin, womb-one.