The virtual school says its hands are tied due to Florida’s “don’t say gay” law. However, the teacher has lodged a complaint against it.
Mx. is a confusing title. How is it pronounced? “X” is an obnoxious letter choice to try to genericize gender.
But the article shows this teacher tried several other reasonable titles, like “professor” and “teacher” that were also denied. That’s ridiculous, and clearly just targeting them.
You not knowing how to pronounce something isn’t reason enough for it not to exist.
I’m not saying it is, but it should be enough to start a discussion on whether there’s a better, more easily pronouncable term while we’re in a discussion about titles.
If I really think about it, what makes Mr. Or Ms. any easier to pronounce? They are actually a bit less intuitive because they are abbreviations.
As far as two letters go, I feel like Mx. is just one step removed from Mix, so it seems easy to me. Perhaps Mr. and Ms. are just easier to accept because we have lived with them our whole life. A lot of the English language seems weird when we step outside of it.
Mr. is derived from master and Ms. is derived from mistress. Their pronunciation is derived from their etymology.
I agree though that common usage plays a part.
This dang language keeps evolving, doesn’t it?
“I was told that professor was not okay, Dr. was not okay for me because I didn’t have a Ph.D., but there are lots of people at FLVS who do use Dr., which, coincidentally, is also in violation of the same law I got disciplined for,” Vary said. They were told the other acceptable courtesy titles were Mrs., Ms., or Miss. Using “teacher” was also out of the question.“
“We’re going to refuse every attempt at compromise, and force you to choose between abandoning your principles or your career. Why? Because we’re bastards. Fuck you.”
Serious question, though: how does one pronounce Mx.?
I keep reading it as Mixter.
Mixter and Mixus, much like theydies and gentlethem.
