Discuss what is wrong with the following sentence from a biology textbook.

"We know man is a mammal because he gives birth to live young and suckles his young at his breast."

Great comment, Dr Paul.
Some people take PC too far, but I find the new PC (favoured by the right) just as bizarre. My current favourite is "aspirational voters", don't they mean social climbers? And the right like "queue jumpers" or "illegal immigrants" while the left prefer "asylum seekers". We all spin language to support our own beliefs and denigrate those we don't agree with, whether we are on the right, the left or neither.
Originally, PC language was meant to include those who language had made invisible, like women in Dr Paul's quote above. Some misunderstood and misused it, but that doesn't make the original intention wrong. I don't like being called a Chairman much, I prefer Chair, in just the same way a bloke would probably hate to be called a Chairwoman, if that was the norm. I also loath being called Mrs husband's initial and last name, I feel I have literally ceased to exist as a separate person. Surely that's not PC, that's just my choice?

Rebecca gives the game away when she says: "...gender-neutral language was only ever an aspect of a larger feminist agenda....". Rightly said dear Rebecca! Legislating for so-called gender-neutral language is a way of enforcing the ideals of feminism, and promoting the false notion that women are in a "class war" with men. Anyone heard those words "class war" somewhere before?

Enaj - another rational down to earth post from you. Thank you. Have always thought that stating the gender of a speaker eg spokeswoman, or chairman to be completely superfluous. Keep it simple. 'Chair' or 'Speaker' is fine. This is why I suggested access-hole as resolving the ridiculous man-hole etc.

PC should simply be about courtesy. However it has been hijacked and ridiculed in order that some people can remain disrespectful. As you say, enaj everyone wants to put their own spin on it.

Still I request "Be excellent to one another"

A snippet from a not very famous play. RB: a parady of Bruce Ruxton and Sir Joh, Interviewer: Jana Wendt...oh, I think PC is one of the 'new' bains of our world (meaning oz) along with Islamists and...far out 'man' there are too many...*he he he*

RB: The money I make belongs to my family and me; not some looser who can’t find work or some lesso, pinko drug-addict poofter! My Goodness gracious me, you give people like that an inch, they’ll take a bloody mile: all they’ll do is squirt out more and more babies so they can get more welfare to purchase more drugs! They should all be shot! Welfare will be this country’s downfall, mark my words.

Interviewer: Interesting, and gun laws?

RB: look lassie, it’s a well known fact that it’s not guns that makes one a killer; I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a cricket bat or a car just as easily, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the WACA are they?

Interviewer: I hesitate to ask, rights for minorities?

RB: With regard to feminism, and homosexuals well, I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, which is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia it is an opinion. I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like Abstudy, the Deadly Awards, and Noongar Entertainment Television. Try to have things like White Entertainment Television, or Miss White Australia and see what happens: Charlie Perkins and Yagan, even the bloody enigmatic Waugal will rise from their graves and watering hole and they’ll be knocking down your door! Listen, it’s a plain and simple fact, when 70% of the people who are arrested are black, in communities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling, it is the law of statistics

Interviewer: Members of the female gender make up more than 50% of the population Mr. Buxom, how can you class them as a minority?

RB: Hmmm, yes, well, I’ll be back in a tick lassie, I need to drain the snake…

Interviewer: Ok, moving along to border protection…ho…
RB: (interrupting) Look, I believe that if you are selling me a milk shake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper, or a hotel room, you must do it in English! In fact, if you want to be an Australian citizen you should have to speak English! I and my father before me, should not have to fight in vain so refos can leave the countries they were born in and come over here and disrespect ours. We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document and open to their interpretations.
Interviewer: OK, so you’re against any immigration or just the intake of refuges?
RB: No, nothing…buggar the lot of ‘em! Furthermore, I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special loan programmes, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business.
Interviewer: OK. What about the increasing intolerance in Australia today, how would you, if you won government, tackle that issue?
RB: Look missy, I didn’t come down in the last shower you know, I can see what you are trying to do, you’re trying to entrap me!
Interviewer: Not at all Mr. Buxom, I am merely trying to ascertain your opinions on certain issues…