Adjective: usual, typical, or expected. Noun: a standard or pattern that is usual in a group or situation.
From Latin “normalis,” meaning “made according to a carpenter’s square,” from “norma,” a tool for making right angles. It shifted from meaning “at a right angle” to “conforming to a standard,” and then to “usual.”
“Normal” originally had nothing to do with people—it was about straight lines and right angles. Remembering that it’s about a ‘standard’ (not ‘good’ or ‘bad’) can help you question who decides what “normal” even is.
'Normal' has often been used to mark male, cisgender, and heterosexual identities and behaviors as the default, casting women and gender minorities as deviations. In medicine and psychology, 'normal' vs. 'abnormal' categories have pathologized gender-nonconforming people.
Avoid calling specific genders or gender expressions 'normal'; instead, use precise descriptors (e.g., 'statistically common') and acknowledge diversity.
["typical","common","usual","statistically average"]
Women and gender-diverse scholars have challenged narrow definitions of 'normal' that exclude their experiences and bodies.
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