Thanks for this thoughtful response, Linda! Although I wrote this piece a while back, the issues continues to be relevant in current media coverage of the Kavanaugh nomination. If I see “Kavanaugh’s accuser” one more time, I will boil over. In addition to the issues raised in the article, using this language also privileges Kavanaugh as an owner. It’s like saying “Linda’s socks.”

Why can’t they just call Dr. Ford by her name?

Last night I attended a poetry reading and talk by Terri Witek, who has a new book of poems out called The Rape Kit. The language issues surrounding rape are front and center in her work. https://terriwitek.com/books/the-rape-kit/