Recent years have seen a move towards emphasizing the importance of "diversity" in everything. I don't particularly object to seeing the word "partner" (in place of wife / husband / boyfriend / girlfriend etc), used to denote a person with whom you may have any sort of semi-permanent relationship: it does avoid the potentially awkward question as to whether there's a legal basis for it, notwithsanding the sex of the person concerned. Similarly I'm happy to write he/she where the person I'm writing about could be either.
But then I'm not writing something like an ad or a set of instructions for public consumption. I'd instinctively assume those who are would be doubly conscious of the need to be aware of the realities of these things. Hence my surprise at buying a new fragrance of shower gel - Lynx Twist to be precise - yesterday, and finding written in the blurb on the back:
"A blast of fresh fragrance to make a good first impression which twists into long-lasting refreshment to keep her tantalized and intrigued by you"
Huh? "her"?
Perhaps it ought to have a warning on the label "Not recommended for gays"? I didn't check the other Lynx fragrances to see how the slogans on those were worded. Or perhaps I just inadventently picked the one marketed at boys aiming to impress their mothers? Yes, that must be it.
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