AP Stylebook's new guidance on 'inclusive' language when covering pregnancy and abortion manages to be too woke and not woke enough

In case you didn’t know, when it comes to our writing, we abide by AP Stylebook rules. Or at least when it comes to our grammatically correct writing. The AP Stylebook doesn’t encourage sentence fragments, of course, or slang. We tend to use both of those things here, along with lots of other verboten stuff.

But otherwise, the AP Stylebook is our guide. I still refer to the copy sitting on my desk on occasion. But one of these days, we may have to start taking our writing cues from a different source, because the AP keeps finding new sharks to jump.

Here are a just a few examples of their nonsense over the past couple of years:

There’s plenty more where all that came from. Like this, for instance, which dropped just this morning:

We now have guidance saying that "pregnant women" or "women seeking abortions" is acceptable phrasing.
Phrases like "pregnant people" or "people seeking abortions" are acceptable when you want to be inclusive of people who have those experiences but do not identify as women. pic.twitter.com/ljaabPxWak

— APStylebook (@APStylebook) August 17, 2022

“We now have guidance.” Great. We weren’t asking for guidance. Were any of you guys asking for guidance? I wasn’t asking for guidance. Because only pregnant women can get abortions. “Pregnant people” is not a thing. At least it shouldn’t be in a society that respects the basic tenets of biological science.

Wut https://t.co/qc9PlZINYj

— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) August 17, 2022

Orwell was prescient and a genius. This can’t be emphasized enough. https://t.co/iC3dba9g0i

— Henry Friendly (@HenryFriendly1) August 17, 2022

hahahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahhahahahahahahahbahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahhaha https://t.co/IqpCKf4slA

— kaitlin, by definition, a woman (@thefactualprep) August 17, 2022

AP: We now have guidance saying reporters can refer to "dogs" as "cats" and "cats" as "dogs" when you want to be inclusive of people with IQs as low as ours https://t.co/MgYqGoIl7C

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) August 17, 2022

The really hilarious part is that the AP’s guidance is actually pissing off people who are angry that the AP’s suggested language isn’t woke enough.

In what context would using "women" instead of "people" be more appropriate? What's the point of reducing the scope and encouraging transphobia?

— G, confused & trying 💛☠💜🖤✊🏾🤘🏾 (@gennisaisquoi) August 17, 2022

If trans women are women, then why is the AP suggesting “people” instead of women? For shame, AP. For shame.

"if you want to be inclusive"

— _katiesaurus_ (@_katiesaurus_) August 17, 2022

If, on the other hand you *don't* want to be inclusive, the AP has approved your transphobia.

— _katiesaurus_ (@_katiesaurus_) August 17, 2022

Maybe the AP is transphobic!

Please keep in mind that the use of “people” is inclusive of *girls* as well as trans/non-binary people.
A ten-year-old is not a “pregnant woman.” Calling her that minimizes the horror of what’s happening in the US.

— oh dear ✍🏻 (@__ohdear__) August 17, 2022

Nice going, AP. Now you’re girl-phobic, too. See what happens when you try to appease the Woke Mob?

Though I guess “pregnant man” should also be ok if the story calls for it, since it is also possible.

— Flock of Cats🐈🐈🐈 (@flockofcats) August 17, 2022

“Pregnant people” is actually really discriminatory toward pregnant trans men (who are men, we’ve been told),i if you think about it.

I love the continuing efforts to make basic communication as difficult and exhaustive as possible.

— 2021 Yay (@JohnWonderlin) August 17, 2022

At least the AP Stylebook advises against using “overly clinical language like people with uteruses or birthing people.” So some woke terms are still too much, even for them. But given their clear willingness to play fast and loose with the English language, don’t be surprised if you start seeing AP stories about Republicans’ war on birthing people one of these days.

Maybe the AP should just cut their losses now before they do any more damage to their reputation.