Philosophy Now Forum

As President Trump seeks to purge the federal government of “woke” initiatives, agencies have flagged hundreds of words to limit or avoid, according to a compilation of government documents.

The terms [below] appeared in government memos, in official and unofficial agency guidance and in other documents viewed by The New York Times. Some ordered the removal of these words from public-facing websites, or ordered the elimination of other materials (including school curricula) in which they might be included." nyt

accessible
activism
activists
advocacy
advocate
advocates
affirming care
all-inclusive
allyship
anti-racism
antiracist
assigned at birth
assigned female at birth
assigned male at birth
at risk
barrier
barriers
belong
bias
biased
biased toward
biases
biases towards
biologically female
biologically male
BIPOC
Black
breastfeed + people
breastfeed + person
chestfeed + people
chestfeed + person
clean energy
climate crisis
climate science
commercial sex worker
community diversity
community equity
confirmation bias
cultural competence
cultural differences
cultural heritage
cultural sensitivity
culturally appropriate
culturally responsive
DEI
DEIA
DEIAB
DEIJ
disabilities
disability
discriminated
discrimination
discriminatory
disparity
diverse
diverse backgrounds
diverse communities
diverse community
diverse group
diverse groups
diversified
diversify
diversifying
diversity
enhance the diversity
enhancing diversity
environmental quality
equal opportunity
equality
equitable
equitableness
equity
ethnicity
excluded
exclusion
expression
female
females
feminism
fostering inclusivity
GBV
gender
gender based
gender based violence
gender diversity
gender identity
gender ideology
gender-affirming care
genders
Gulf of Mexico
hate speech
health disparity
health equity
hispanic minority
historically
identity
immigrants
implicit bias
implicit biases
inclusion
inclusive
inclusive leadership
inclusiveness
inclusivity
increase diversity
increase the diversity
indigenous community
inequalities
inequality
inequitable
inequities
inequity
injustice
institutional
intersectional
intersectionality
key groups
key people
key populations
Latinx
LGBT
LGBTQ
marginalize
marginalized
men who have sex with men
mental health
minorities
minority
most risk
MSM
multicultural
Mx
Native American
non-binary
nonbinary
oppression
oppressive
orientation
people + uterus
people-centered care
person-centered
person-centered care
polarization
political
pollution
pregnant people
pregnant person
pregnant persons
prejudice
privilege
privileges
promote diversity
promoting diversity
pronoun
pronouns
prostitute
race
race and ethnicity
racial
racial diversity
racial identity
racial inequality
racial justice
racially
racism
segregation
sense of belonging
sex
sexual preferences
sexuality
social justice
sociocultural
socioeconomic
status
stereotype
stereotypes
systemic
systemically
they/them
trans
transgender
transsexual
trauma
traumatic
tribal
unconscious bias
underappreciated
underprivileged
underrepresentation
underrepresented
underserved
undervalued
victim
victims
vulnerable populations
women
women and underrepresented

First, of course: can you fucking believe this?! Secondly, how is this not basically just another rendition of woke? Trump and his ilk seemingly loathe these words, so they set out to "wake people up" in order that they can loathe them too. Thirdly, I expect all Trump supporters here to refrain from using them other than in a disparaging manner.

Oh, and don't just "limit" using them use, grow a pair and utterly avoid using them altogether.

"Chest feeding" sounds like it belongs in the movie Alien.

I don't like "wokism" at all. It leads to people being afraid to say things, for fear of causing offence. Often, therefore, they just play it safe and say nothing at all.

Maia wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 8:15 am I don't like "wokism" at all. It leads to people being afraid to say things, for fear of causing offence. Often, therefore, they just play it safe and say nothing at all.

Oh, you poor thing. Don't tell me you had to listen to the computer read that entire list!

attofishpi wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 9:01 am

Maia wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 8:15 am I don't like "wokism" at all. It leads to people being afraid to say things, for fear of causing offence. Often, therefore, they just play it safe and say nothing at all.

Oh, you poor thing. Don't tell me you had to listen to the computer read that entire list!

Sadly, yes, but I have it on 4x.

Maia wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 9:13 am

attofishpi wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 9:01 am

Maia wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 8:15 am I don't like "wokism" at all. It leads to people being afraid to say things, for fear of causing offence. Often, therefore, they just play it safe and say nothing at all.

Oh, you poor thing. Don't tell me you had to listen to the computer read that entire list!

Sadly, yes, but I have it on 4x.

lol, well good for you, I always find 4x lager makes boring things more interesting.

attofishpi wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 9:37 am

Maia wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 9:13 am

attofishpi wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 9:01 am

Oh, you poor thing. Don't tell me you had to listen to the computer read that entire list!

Sadly, yes, but I have it on 4x.

lol, well good for you, I always find 4x lager makes boring things more interesting.

4x average speaking speed. Larger wouldn't make any difference.

Maia wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 8:15 am I don't like "wokism" at all. It leads to people being afraid to say things, for fear of causing offence. Often, therefore, they just play it safe and say nothing at all.

Wait so is trump being woke by banning these words he finds offensive? Or are you saying he's afraid to offend woke people so he's banned these words?

Maia wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 9:39 am

attofishpi wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 9:37 am

Maia wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 9:13 am

Sadly, yes, but I have it on 4x.

lol, well good for you, I always find 4x lager makes boring things more interesting.

4x average speaking speed. Larger wouldn't make any difference.

lol again. Seems my attempts at humour are wasted on you! Lager (beer) not larger!! 4X is a brand of Queensland beer

Flannel Jesus wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 9:43 am

Maia wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 8:15 am I don't like "wokism" at all. It leads to people being afraid to say things, for fear of causing offence. Often, therefore, they just play it safe and say nothing at all.

Wait so is trump being woke by banning these words he finds offensive? Or are you saying he's afraid to offend woke people so he's banned these words?

I don't know. Some of those words are fine, in my opinion, and others are ridiculous. As a general rule, though, I'm not in favour of banning.

attofishpi wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 9:43 am

Maia wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 9:39 am

attofishpi wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 9:37 am

lol, well good for you, I always find 4x lager makes boring things more interesting.

4x average speaking speed. Larger wouldn't make any difference.

lol again. Seems my attempts at humour are wasted on you! Lager (beer) not larger!! 4X is a brand of Queensland beer

Ah, gotcha. So it wasn't a typo, then. I'm not a massive fan of lager, to be honest, but I don't mind the occasional glass of white wine.

Maia wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 9:47 am

Flannel Jesus wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 9:43 am

Maia wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 8:15 am I don't like "wokism" at all. It leads to people being afraid to say things, for fear of causing offence. Often, therefore, they just play it safe and say nothing at all.

Wait so is trump being woke by banning these words he finds offensive? Or are you saying he's afraid to offend woke people so he's banned these words?

I don't know. Some of those words are fine, in my opinion, and others are ridiculous. As a general rule, though, I'm not in favour of banning.

What do you think about his banning of all these words then? Do you think he's acting reasonable? Do you think it shows signs of anything politically...undesirable, that he would ban words like "bias", "disability", "equality", "mental health", "status" and more?

Flannel Jesus wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 10:12 am

Maia wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 9:47 am

Flannel Jesus wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 9:43 am

Wait so is trump being woke by banning these words he finds offensive? Or are you saying he's afraid to offend woke people so he's banned these words?

I don't know. Some of those words are fine, in my opinion, and others are ridiculous. As a general rule, though, I'm not in favour of banning.

What do you think about his banning of all these words then? Do you think he's acting reasonable? Do you think it shows signs of anything politically...undesirable, that he would ban words like "bias", "disability", "equality", "mental health", "status" and more?

I don't agree with his banning of those words, if that's what he's really done. And those words you highlighted, in particular, are all perfectly reasonable words.

As for what I think about Trump, I think he's acting quite erratically, actually. I think he's right to try and seek peace in Ukraine, but I'm not sure that he's going about it in the best way.

Maia wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 10:22 am I think he's right to try and seek peace in Ukraine, but I'm not sure that he's going about it in the best way.

Peace by just giving the bully literally everything they're demanding is a wild strategy. It's interesting to note that before trump got elected, people were worried that that would be his strategy for peace, and republicans tried to assure everyone that no, he was a tough leader, he'd be much tougher on Russia than biden. Now that he's in office, the concerns were all correct, he's apparently acting in Russia's interest in how he approaches this situation.

Flannel Jesus wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 10:26 am

Maia wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 10:22 am I think he's right to try and seek peace in Ukraine, but I'm not sure that he's going about it in the best way.

Peace by just giving the bully literally everything they're demanding is a wild strategy. It's interesting to note that before trump got elected, people were worried that that would be his strategy for peace, and republicans tried to assure everyone that no, he was a tough leader, he'd be much tougher on Russia than biden. Now that he's in office, the concerns were all correct, he's apparently acting in Russia's interest in how he approaches this situation.

Unless he's playing some sort of long game, but I suppose that seems less likely, as time goes on, and even if he is, it might backfire. I don't blame Americans for not wanting to get dragged into yet another foreign war, but even so, there are other options.