Castration

Definition

Removal of the testes to reduce aggression and improve meat quality.

Ethical Language Guidance

Gender History

Historically weaponized as a metaphor for emasculation and loss of power, reinforcing equivalence between male sexuality and male authority. Used to shame both men and women.

Inclusive Usage

Use clinically for medical context only. Avoid as metaphor for disempowerment, failure, or loss of authority—it reinforces harmful sex/power equations.

Inclusive Alternatives

["diminishment","disempowerment","constraint","limitation"]

Empowerment Note

Feminist critique has clarified that power and capability are not biological; avoiding this metaphor supports gender-neutral framings of authority and agency.

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