Picture the scene. You’re on a train when the following message comes over the tannoy:
‘Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls.’
Are you offended? One passenger travelling on a London North Eastern Railway (LNER) train was.
‘So as a non-binary person this announcement doesn’t actually apply to me so I won’t listen,’ the commuter wrote. Remarkably, LNER didn’t simply ignore or dismiss this complaint. It apologised:
How scared of the trans mob must LNER be to act so swiftly?
‘I’m really sorry to see this, Laurence, our Train Managers should not be using language like this, and I thank you for bringing it to my attention. Please could you let me know which service you are on and I will ensure they remain as inclusive as we strive to be at LNER.’
But is rebuking one of its employees for wishing passengers a ‘good afternoon’ really a sign of inclusivity?
As a young feminist, quite purist and strict, I would often tell men off for calling me a ‘lady’.
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