To add to the mix, I've heard complaints about "Elmer."  It's gender specific.  The suggestion is to use "mentor."

YL and OM made a lot of sense when ham radio was mostly spark, CW or MCW and sending letters took a lot of time.  That is no long true.  Maybe we just need to drop the terms and follow current common practice.

I know this is an uncomfortable topic for many people.  But it is a sensitive topic for younger people today.

Thanks for bringing it up, Mike.

73, Art

-- 
Arthur I. Zygielbaum, K0AIZ
ARRL Midwest Division Director
Member, Executive Committee
Member, Programs and Services Committee
Member, ARRL Foundation Board
ARRL - The National Association for Amateur Radio®

ODV;

I have had a member ask me the following:

Nicole Music wrote on 4/10/23 08:15:
> >> .....YL means young lady and refers to all female
> >> operators regardless of their age.  OM means old man and refers to all
> >> male operators.   My question is for those that don't self-identify
> >> with female or male what is that abbreviation?  Is there a difference
> >> for them or do we just refer to them as YL or OM regardless of their
> >> gender?
> >>
> 

Given the current political climate are there any suggestion here? I guess the larger question is: Does the League need to think about working to eliminate  the YL and OM as pronouns in amateur radio, since there will be some people that fall outside of those two defined categories?  

Is there a third pronoun that can be used for those that identify as neither a YL or an OM? 

73;

Mike

W7VO

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