On 19 October, the Handmaid’s Tale author shared an article titled “Why can’t we say ‘woman’ anymore?” to Twitter. The writer of the opinion piece questions trans activism and appears to view it as a direct threat to women, with the main focus being that the author thinks the word “woman” is no longer allowed to be said.
In the wake of posting it on social media, Atwood faced instant backlash from her followers, with one saying they are “disappointed” she would share something like this. “I’m disappointed you shared this because it’s factually untrue,” journalist Amanda Jetté Knox responded. “We can still say ‘woman’ & we can also say ‘people’ when it makes sense to use more inclusive language.