SAN FRANCISCO (Wireless Flash) – You’re not being politically correct if you refer to Xena, the Warrior Princess or Wonder Woman as heroes – the preferred term is “sheroes.”
A least that’s what Varla Ventura, a feminist activist in San Francisco is hoping will happen.
Ventura thinks powerful female role models should be called “sheroes” instead of “heroes” and she’s hoping to get dictionaries on her side.
She’s urging people to write letters to the editors of the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary demanding that they add “shero” to the latest edition.
Ventura says the word “hero” reeks of masculine overtones while the feminine form – “heroine” – sounds like the name of a narcotic drug.
The term “shero” was coined in 1981 by Spellman College President Johnetta B. Cole, but has since been picked up by Oprah Winfrey who occasionally uses the word on her talk show.
Ventura is the author of a new book called Sheroes: Bold, Brash and Absolutely Unabashed Superwomen (Conari Press).
CONTACT: Varla Ventura, ***; Arrange thru Nina Lesowitz; Berkeley, CA; (510) ***-****
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