Language, as many of us know, is not neutral; it is the main method through which values, norms, and beliefs are communicated. It can be used to promote violence or liberation, depending on how it is used. Join us this month to learn how editing can be a tool for countering gender-based oppression. Alex Kapitan, creator of Radical Copyeditor, will discuss how sexism and transphobia creep into everyday language and how editors can help describe and create a world in which gender diversity is affirmed and valued. Content will include:
- A radical copyeditor’s frameworks for centering care in language and editing
- Concrete tips and tools for identifying and countering sexism, heterosexism, and transphobia in language
- Questions and practices that can help us incorporate anti-oppression into our work
Instructor
Alex Kapitan is a queer and trans trainer, speaker, consultant, editor, and activist who left the world of nonfiction book publishing to start Radical Copyeditor, an anti-oppressive language project. Alex works with clients as varied as publishing companies, academic journals, activist organizations, and museums, helping people align their words with their values with regard to race, class, dis/ability, sexuality, gender, religion, and more, rooted in the idea that because words describe and create reality, we have a responsibility to describe and create the best possible reality we can imagine.