WW1 She-Soldiers

A word from our sponsor:

Printer-friendly version

Author: 

The BBC has an interesting post about Women on the Front Line in WW1
Some even dressed as men to get to the front.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-29706831

Comments

Why Call them 'She-soldiers?'

I find the writer of this stories use of the term 'she-soldiers' offensive, truly offensive. It is as if there is a need to besmirch them in an sly, silly underhanded way. It also hints, with a wink and a nod, that at the term 'she-male,' a very popular way of disparaging people who are male-to-female TGs.

Question; Does the author consider women who serve in the ranks today 'she-soldiers' and refer to them as such when writing of their activities?

The women mentioned in the story who served at the front were soldiers. They shouldered their rifles, endured the horrors of war, and fought along side their male comrades. They were soldiers and deserve to be remembered as such.

HW Coyle
a.k.a. Nancy Cole
Author of 'Caitlin'


~ ~ ~

"You may be what you resolve to be."

T.J. Jackson

Well.....

Hypatia Littlewings's picture

"she-soldiers" ?
If what it says in the article is accurate. It is an older term that was used then and there and also earlier on to describe such women warriors, and is not a term the writer made up. It is a historically accurate usage in context as is the term "total war" in the article.

I do not think it is intend negatively, though may carry that connotation by association with similar terms like she-male. If it had negative connotations at the time or not I do not know.

>i< ..:::

PS. I have encountered those who self Identify as she-male, and a few other supposedly negative terms.