Banned Words

I’m old enough to remember when comedian, George Carlin’s “seven dirty words” were banned from TV.  I am not old enough to remember when another White House banned the CDC from using seven “dirty words.”  According to Fox News, CNN, and the Washington Post, the White House has banned the CDC from using these seven words: “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “diversity,” “transgender,” “fetus,” “evidence –based” and “science-based.”  How then, are we supposed to refer to our transgender bothers and sisters, daughters and sons, mothers and fathers? One of the classes I teach is called, “Sexual Diversity.”  The therapy that most competent licensed clinicians practice is “evidence-based” with the alternative being experimental therapy.   I don’t think it matters what side of the political isle we stand on, these are confusing times!