Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2003 08:04:13 -0500
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The term politically correct is widely understood to have originated from Ivy League Universities in the United States, and typically tends to refer to speech codes seeking to make offensive references to such areas as race, gender and sexuality unacceptable (though it may be argued that race has replaced sexuality as our dominant taboo). As such, the term is strongly associated with the political left and has been widely adopted in the form of the hate crime laws now becoming prevalent in many European states. Accordingly, particular concerns associated with political correctness include the erosion of freedoms of speech. The concept has also manifested itself in terms of affirmative action which has been widely attacked by institutionalised discrimination. In short, it would not be going too far to observe that as society has become more socially diverse, its discourse has become markedly more restricted.

However, the term has been endlessly appropriated to the extent that it is frequently unclear as to what it refers. Many left wing commentators have observed that the term is only ever used as an insult by the right, while certain figures on the right have appropriated the term to suggest that religious groups constitute an oppressed minority. To others, the term politically incorrect has simply come to mean any form of subversive anti-establishment rhetoric.

The concept was notably satirised by the novelist Will Self, who while visiting BBC Broadcasting House with a friend noticed a gay Cabinet Minister engaged in what the friend described as 'a queeny strop.' Self simply noted 'my friend is gay and is therefore allowed to be homophobic.'

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Notice a [Google|Google:"politically correct"] search turns up mostly sites lampooning the concept.
%%%-- DavidLucifer

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See other InterestingMemes.
