[Callers] Jets / rubies genderfree terms redux: gems?

[Meg Dedolph via Callers]

I happened to play on Saturday night for Queer Contra Chicago, a dance
series that prefers to use bands/ bares. I've called for that series as
well.
Two things stood out: The first is that during the workshop someone asked
the caller if he'd heard the larks/ ravens terminology, and said they
thought it was easier to remember larks = left, ravens = right.
The second is that every time the caller said "bands," in addressing the
floor, I jumped, because I thought he was talking to the musicians and I
had missed something. I wouldn't have noticed that as a caller, I think.
For what it's worth....
Meg

On Mon, Jun 1, 2015 at 7:28 AM Delia Clark via Callers <
callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> I have informally polled some members of my band and they prefer
> gems/rubies to jets/rubies, for all the reasons others have stated, so I’m
> going to take that out for a test drive at the upcoming wedding I’m calling
> for two women. If I gain any more insights from that, I’ll share them here!
>
>
> On Jun 1, 2015, at 2:25 AM, Erik Hoffman via Callers <
> callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>  It's funny, but there's a part of me that finds all of these different
> words a little weird. In a way, I'm not sure I like any of them. But I do
> like the sense of liberation they give -- the level of comfort that's
> appearing at dances for people dancing with anyone. In my area, the SF Bay
> Area, men are definitely getting more comfortable dancing with men. Around
> here -- as opposed to outlying areas -- there has always been a level of
> tolerance, but the level of acceptance is growing.
>
> I think my sense of weirdness -- slight discomfort -- comes from both
> working to change my habits, and from the sense of the terms being
> contrived. OK, my thought/feelings are changing, and my mind is starting to
> think of this use as being creative rather than contrived. Also, use is
> working in my favor: the more I call using Larks and Ravens, the more
> comfortable it's getting for me, and I'm feeling it's less "contrived." But
> it has been a bit of a hurdle for me to overcome.
>
> As for liking jets & rubies, I have the same problem many do: the multiple
> meaning of the word "jet." OK, I can be told it's a jem, but a machine to
> fly, developed by the military, designed for aggressive fighting, then
> given to the public for high-carbon footprint travel is my first thought --
> extremely masculine.
>
> Second thought that comes to an old geezer like me is a gang in New York's
> West Side, about which there is a story, which is also masculine...
>
> Jet as a gem would be slow to replace the other two. So, were I to try
> these, I'd go for gems & rubies. But we'll stick with Larks & Ravens for a
> while...
>
> ~erik hoffman
>     oakland, ca
>
> On 5/28/2015 12:30 PM, Ron Blechner via Callers wrote:
>
> For those interested in gender free contra dance terms:
>
> 1. Do you like or dislike jets / rubies ?
> 2. How would gems / rubies compare?
>
> In dance,
> Ron Blechner
>
>
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> Delia Clark
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