PETA to AP: Don't Refer to Animals as 'It'

Editor & Publisher ^ | April 26, 2007 4:00 PM ET | E&P Staff

[DogByte6RER]

PETA to AP: Don't Refer to Animals as 'It'

By E&P Staff

Published: April 26, 2007 4:00 PM ET

NEW YORK The animal activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has written a letter to Norm Goldstein, the editor of the AP stylebook, asking that the book be changed so that pronouns referring to animals always be "he," "she," and "who." AP responded by noting that the stylebook only uses "it" and "which" if the animal's sex has not been established and the animal's name is unknown.

PETA says that in a society that is recognizing animals rights more and more, the pronouns were what animals "deserved," and the letter from Anna West, Director of Written Communications, noted that many magazines had already made the switch. The legal system, as well, recently elevated animals to a status beyond "property," and now holds that abusing animals is a crime worse than vandalism.

"The public now recognizes that whales, who sing across oceans; great apes, who share more than 98 percent of our DNA; sheep, who can recognize as many as 50 faces after not having seen them for two years; and pigs and chickens, who can learn to operate switches in order to control heat and light in factory-farm sheds, are feeling, intelligent individuals -- not objects," the letter states. "Our language should reflect this."

AP spokesman Jack Stokes pointed to the current AP stylebook guidelines, saying that the news organization already does what's being requested. "It's very specific," he said.

Below is the exact wording of the "animals" entry in the AP book:

"Do not apply a personal pronoun to an animal unless its sex has been established or the animal has a name: The dog was scared; it barked. Rover was scared; he barked. The cat, which was scared, ran to its basket. Susie the cat, who was scared, ran to her basket. The bull tosses his horns.

"Capitalize the name of a specific animal, and use Roman numerals to show sequence: Bowser, Whirlaway II.

"For breed names, follow the spelling and capitalization in Webster's New World College Dictionary. For breeds not listed in the dictionary, capitalize words derived from proper nouns; use lowercase elsewhere: basset hound, Boston terrier."

[tumblindice]

I’m guessing “bitch”, “dam”, “runt” and “sire” are all off the table, too.

[SampleMan]

I refer to PETA members as “it”.

[weegee]

What if your pet has a different “gender identity”?

[upchuck]

That thing does not deserve the compliment you gave it.

[Bender2]

Re: PETA says that in a society that is recognizing animals rights more and more, the pronouns were what animals "deserved,"

Okay, okay! After I shoot, skin and grill that cow... I'm going to eat the crap out of her!

[ReignOfError]

If this isn't a prime example of a bunch of ecofascists attempting to stifle freedom of speech, then I don't know what is.

You don't know what is. PETA is asking the AP to change the guidelines for the use of distribution channels it owns. Freedom of speech doesn't enter into it.

[DogByte6RER]

Yes, while PETA is “asking” the AP to change the guidelines for the use of distribution channels it owns, if the AP does not comply with PETAs “request” we could expect PETA’s goon squads over at ALF and ELF to engage in some “friendly persuasion” in the form of domestic terrorism, threats, arson and vandalism. The ties between PETA and these two eco-terrorist groups are convincing and quite evident.

Figure it out for yourself...

[Fire_on_High]

LOL, I’ve seen some rather amazing displays of stupidity concerning animal gender before, such as missing certain obvious clues such as sex-linked colors, or in the case of tame male hairless rats, EXTREMELY obvious testicles. I won’t fault a journo who’s half trying for being wrong or saying “it”. They’re there not there to lift the tail....now as for those who are....

I’ve had clueless pet shop girls bring me out a squirming female rat before when I’d specifically requested a male (no regrets in the end, she was a smart cookie) due to being “too afraid” to handle the semi-tame rats long enough with gloves to see freakin’ huge nuts on one of the boys running around the cage.

OTOH, I’ve had a grizzled old plumber get one good look at our longhaired calico and ask if she was a “sow cat”. Good call for a confirmed dog lover for life, since what he remembered hearing as a boy about calicos always being girls is indeed true.

[SamAdams76]

Why is PETA purporting to speak for the animals? How patronizing of PETA to assume that animals cannot speak for themselves. Did the animals elect PETA to represent them? Where is the proof that animals are even offended by being called "it."

A lot of unanswered questions here.

[Alouette]

But what if the animal has been spayed or neutered?

Then it's a "transgender" animal.

[drlevy88]

Next the tree huggers will come along, demanding that vegetation be known as “who/whom” (although trees don’t usually have a gender).

[NavyCanDo]

When they bring IT on a plate, I prefer IT Rare.

[ThomasThomas]

sheep, who can recognize as many as 50 faces after not having seen them for two years; and pigs and chickens, who can learn to operate switches in order to control heat and light in factory-farm sheds, are feeling, intelligent individuals

A new concept in smart eating.

[5iguanas]

I write for kids and never use “it” in reference to any animal unless it’s to show that the person speaking has that attitude toward an animal. When you have a dialogue where one kid says “he” or “she” in reference to an animal and the other character says “it” —very glaring. My MFA thesis was titled “The Use of Language in Determining Distance Between Animal Subject and Reader.”