Apparently, Camellia, a lot of battles cannot be won once and for all, but remain continuing struggles. We thought — decades ago — that men’s right to wear their hair as long as they wanted had been won, but, even today, some schools still insist on ridiculous dress codes requiring short hair for men. African Americans have even more difficulty with natural hair styles, etc. We thought that women’s right to choose whether or not to procreate was already legally settled, but see that right being wrested away. We thought that voting rights were, finally, guaranteed for all, but now face massive voter suppression efforts. There are many other relevant issues and examples. All we can do is to continue to fight on, and to encourage our daughters, granddaughters and — in my case — great-granddaughters to carry on in our stead. Hopefully, Dr. King was right, and “[t]he moral arc of the Universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

Is that really the origin of the term “master bedroom”? I don’t think the usage goes back that far, nor — historically — have most families had a large enough home for spouses to have separate bedrooms anyway. “Master” is not always a gendered word. All of us can “master” something or be masters of our domains. The US Postal Service just had its first female Postmaster General, and no one considered that title inapt. I’m female, too, and, appropriately, occupy the master bedroom — and suite — in my home, as the head of my household. I’m also a feminist and — frankly — see nothing in the use of “master bedroom” as, somehow, connoting gender inequality. But, if — in fact — you are correct about the origin of the term, I’m perfectly willing to be further enlightened to the contrary.

THANKS for this! I thought my generation had gone a long way toward conquering gender inequality but, no, my daughter is still fighting this battle and the way it looks, my granddaughter will also be fighting it. WHY CAN’T WE GET THIS RIGHT???

That’s just it, though – they aren’t talking about more meaningful change, or even encouraging an actual conversation about the language and why it might be problematic. They’re just dropping this one phrase and patting themselves on the back for it.

The common term is “virtual signaling,” and it’s a sure sign that nothing is going to change.

It is ultimately more important to address the underlying issues of systemic racism, but right now we’re learning a new language that includes actively anti-racist terminology. As we come across these potentially problematic words and phrases, if there’s an innocuous and precise substitute (like primary bedroom), promoting its use is a simple way of showing that we’re listening to people with sensibilities other than our own. If it’s an empty gesture there’s nothing harmful in it, UNLESS it’s not followed up by real change.