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Symmetry Magazine Style Guide

website·Indexed 29 days ago

https://symmetry-mag.github.io/style-guide/

A comprehensive guide for writers to cover diversity, equity, and inclusion with respect and accuracy. It provides terminology and stylistic instructions for writing about gender, sex, sexual orientation, aging, disability, neurodivergence, culture, ethnicity, and race, incorporating standards from the AP Stylebook and GLAAD Media Reference Guide.

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What's inside Symmetry Magazine Style Guide

  1. Distinguish between gender, sex, and sexual orientation in writing

    When writing about identity, it is critical to distinguish between these three distinct concepts:

    • Gender: Refers to a person's social identity, including behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits. It is personal (how one sees oneself). It encompasses gender identity (internal sense of gender) and gender expression (external manifestations like name, pronouns, clothing, and behavior).
    • Sex: Refers to biological characteristics, including chromosomes, hormones, and reproductive organs. It is typically assigned at birth based on external anatomy.
    • Sexual Orientation: Refers to a person's enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to others. It is interpersonal (who one is attracted to).

    Key Writing Constraints:

    • Avoid using 'both', 'either', or 'opposite' when referring to sexes or genders, as not all people fall into two categories.
    • Do not use 'gender' and 'sex' as synonyms.
    • Use the umbrella term 'marginalized genders' to refer collectively to women, non-binary, and trans people.

  2. Style guidelines for referring to Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans

    Follow these constraints when writing about Puerto Rico to avoid geographic bias:

    • Do not refer to Puerto Rico as 'an island' because it consists of multiple islands.
    • Refer to the people as 'Puerto Ricans'.
    • Only mention U.S. citizenship if it is relevant to the story.
    • Avoid using the term 'the mainland' when referring to the United States; use 'the United States' or 'the U.S. government' instead.

  3. Guidelines for writing about Indigenous Peoples

    When writing about Indigenous Peoples, avoid language that perpetuates stereotypes, paternalism, or the idea that these cultures are remnants of the past. Key guidelines include:

    • Avoid phrases that trivialize Indigenous culture (e.g., using 'powwow' to describe a business meeting or 'spirit animal' in a casual context).
    • Avoid describing Indigenous Peoples in the past tense; their cultures are vibrant and evolving.
    • Avoid paternalistic language that frames Indigenous Peoples as passive recipients of benefits rather than active negotiators of their rights.
    • Ensure sources identified as 'experts' are actual subject-matter experts rather than individuals interviewed solely because of their Indigenous identity.

  4. Write about the Deaf and hard of hearing community

    Use 'deaf' (lowercase 'd') for audiological status and 'Deaf' (uppercase 'D') when referring to the culture and community. Use 'deaf' or 'hard of hearing' for total or major hearing loss, and 'partial hearing loss' or 'partially deaf' for others. Avoid 'hearing impaired'.

    When quoting someone who signed their responses, indicate that the responses were signed on first reference; 'said' is acceptable for subsequent references. Avoid 'mute' or 'dumb'; instead, specify if the person uses ASL, lip-reads, or other communication methods.

  5. Write respectfully about disability and disabled individuals

    When discussing disability, both person-first language ('person with a disability') and identity-first language ('disabled person') are acceptable; the best practice is to ask the source for their preference. Avoid referring to 'the disabled' as a monolithic group. Do not use terms that connote pity (e.g., 'afflicted with', 'battling', 'suffers from') or clichés like 'inspiring' and 'brave.' Avoid narratives about 'overcoming' disabilities, and instead center the voices of disabled people, recognizing disability as a culture and identity rather than a problem. Do not refer to disabled people as 'patients' unless the context is a clinical setting or a doctor-patient relationship.

  6. Write accurately about Native American and Indigenous peoples

    When referring to individuals, specify their specific tribe rather than using general terms to avoid erasing tribal identity.

    Key terminology guidelines:

    • Native American / American Indian: Acceptable for multiple people of different tribal affiliations; however, individuals may have a preference, so ask when possible.
    • Indigenous: Capitalize when referring to the identity of original inhabitants of a place (distinguishing it from 'indigenous' used for plants/animals). Avoid possessive phrasing like 'Wyoming's Indigenous people'; use 'the Indigenous people of Wyoming' instead.
    • Native: Use as an adjective for styles (e.g., Native fashion, Native art). Use caution as it can be seen as slang or ambiguous.
    • Tribe: Use to describe sovereign political entities or communities sharing ancestry/culture. Capitalize when part of a formal name (e.g., the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation).
    • Regional Terms: Use 'Alaska Natives' for groups in Alaska and 'First Nation' for Canadian groups.
    • Membership: Use 'citizen' if unsure whether a tribe prefers 'member' or 'citizen'.

  7. Guidelines for writing about race, ethnicity, and MENA descent

    Follow these standards for racial and ethnic descriptions:

    • Hyphenation: Do not hyphenate terms such as 'African American' or 'Asian American' when used as either a noun or an adjective.
    • MENA Descent: When writing about people of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) descent, state the specific nation of origin (e.g., Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel) whenever possible. Use 'Arab Americans' for those with Arab ancestry residing in the US, but prioritize individual self-identification.
    • Parallel Designations: Avoid 'nonparallel designations' where one group is described by color and another is not (e.g., avoid grouping 'African Americans and Whites').

  8. References for writing about aging and disability

    Use these resources to ensure inclusive and non-ableist language when writing about aging and disability. Key references include the AP Stylebook, APA Style, and the National Center on Disability and Journalism.
    - APA Style (Age): https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/bias-free-language/age
- AP Stylebook (Disabilities): https://www.apstylebook.com/ap%5Fstylebook/disabilities
- National Center on Disability and Journalism: https://ncdj.org/style-guide/
- Google Developer Documentation (Inclusive Documentation): https://developers.google.com/style/inclusive-documentation
- Americans with Disabilities Act National Network: https://adata.org/factsheet/ADANN-writing

  10. Reference resources for writing about culture, ethnicity, and race

    The following resources provide guidance on bias-free language, terminology, and style conventions when writing about race, ethnicity, and culture:

    • General Style Guides: The Diversity Style Guide, AP Stylebook (Race-Related Coverage), and APA Style (Racial and Ethnic Identity).
    • Indigenous Terminology: Native American Journalists Association (Reporting and Indigenous Terminology and Tribal Nations Media Guide) and Gregory Younging's Elements of Indigenous Style.
    • Specific Terminology & Concepts: Guidance on the use of 'BIPOC' (Newsweek), the distinction between race and ethnicity (Conscious Style Guide), the capitalization of 'Black' and 'White' (Center for the Study of Social Policy), and the spelling of 'Antisemitism' (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance).
    • Migration & Institutional Context: Analysis of the term 'Expat' (The Atlantic) and definitions of 'Predominantly White Institutions' (Encyclopedia of African American Education).

  12. References for writing about culture, ethnicity, and race

    Use these references to navigate the complexities of race, ethnicity, and cultural identity, including guidance on capitalization and the avoidance of problematic terms like 'minority'.
    - National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Style Guide: https://www.nabj.org/page/styleguide
- Asian American Journalists Association: https://aaja.org/2020/11/30/covering-asia-and-asian-americans/
- National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ): https://nahj.org/2020/08/04/nahj-asks-newsrooms-to-drop-the-use-of-minority/
- Conscious Style Guide: https://consciousstyleguide.com/