In 1972, comedian George Carlin delivered one of the most iconic bits in stand-up history: “Seven Dirty Words You Can’t Say on Television.” It was a profanity-laced masterclass in satire, pointing out the absurdity of a society obsessed with policing language. The words in question were crass, sure, and some people undoubtedly found them offensive — but they weren’t dangerous, by any reasonable standard. Banning them from the airwaves, as Carlin observed, gave them power they wouldn’t have had otherwise.
Fast-forward to today, and the list of forbidden words has changed, but the game hasn’t. The U.S. government is once again policing language, this time on the websites of federal agencies. But the new “dirty words” aren’t profane. They’re words like "diversity," "equity" and "inclusion." Words like “women,” "LGBTQ," "immigrants" and "disability." They are basic, real-world terms used every single day by ordinary people, in everything from education to health care to workplace policy. Now, suddenly, they are deemed too controversial to say out loud.
