Can we say “moumoune” ?
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Can we say “moumoune” ?
Who hasn’t heard Quebec expressions like “don’t be a moumoune” or “You’re scared? You’re such a moumoune”. These expressions, full of pejorative undertones, are commonplace in our everyday language. In this month of Pride in Montreal, let’s demystify it and set the record straight!
But what does “moumoune” mean?
The term “moumoune” is a popular and generally pejorative Quebec expression. In its simplest definition, it’s an insult aimed at diminishing someone’s bravery. In theory, therefore, the term is used to designate someone who is timid, fearful or soft. So far, let’s say, it can still pass muster, even if we agree that there’s surely a slightly more constructive way of putting this point.
Where things get complicated is that, in practice, “moumoune” has become an expression used to diminish men’s virility. And laughing at virility means, of course… comparing them to women and homosexuals.
A few seconds on the Internet and you’ll find that “moumoune” is synonymous with “femmelette” and “lopette” – extremely reductive insults linked to gender and sexual orientation.
As a result, this insult is often associated with negative stereotypes of homosexual men, portraying them as less courageous, less virile and as necessarily having a so-called less masculine gender expression. As if all homosexual men were inevitably the same, and as if there were something wrong with that!
This stigmatization not only reinforces harmful prejudices, but also perpetuates a culture of intolerance and rejection towards the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Of course, the portrait it paints of women is no more glorious. By associating weakness and lack of courage with a gender expression perceived as feminine, we reinforce binary and sexist stereotypes by placing women in a position of weakness in relation to men. It perpetuates restrictive gender norms, negatively affecting both women and gay men.
The danger of the implicit
“Yes, but I use moumoune in the sense of weak and not in the sense of sexual orientation” is the argument often heard when it is pointed out that this is not a respectful expression.
Yet this is an example of microaggression – seemingly trivial but harmful language directed at people from marginalized communities. Like all microaggressions, despite the original intention, the result is the same, given the implicit meaning of the expression. The word conveys negative stereotypes of masculinity, and our society still implicitly associates weakness with homosexuality.
So just because we know, in our heads, that we’re using the term to refer to a fearful person, that doesn’t erase its historically degrading meaning.
What can we say instead?
It’s crucial to remember that the words we choose carry significant weight. They can have a major impact on others! Our words reflect the attitudes and perceptions of our society. To avoid negative connotations and promote a more respectful language, we can easily replace “moumoune” from our vocabulary with more appropriate terms.
While we don’t advise you to insult anyone, we do invite you to use terms that don’t imply reducing the value and identity of women and people belonging to the 2SLGBTQIA+ group in the process.
The next time you hear the expression, act as an ally and propose an alternative to the person.
Happy Pride!
Do you enjoy inclusive language conversations? Want to create opportunities in your organization? We offer training on microaggressions, unconscious bias and inclusive writing! Contact us to arrange a session!
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