I took some time thinking of this, because my gut reaction was it almost read like satire. But while you can’t change the past you can change the future. And I think this is a guide well aware that words have more power than their surface appearance. I think the “black” related examples make this to me about avoiding the subconscious bias one gets with repeat negative associations of a word. If “black” is only ever used as a negative in varying degrees, when one might hear the word “black” in even an unrelated context, appropriately used, a subtle negative feeling can arise, and subsequently link to judging how one feels at that moment. And if someone says someone is a “black person” and a subtle off feeling appears solely from linguistic conditioning, now that is an innate bias, and that matters.

Do we understand these terms colloquially? Sure, but also the alternatives also contain the same meaning and do not cost us anything to use instead.

Good on the Linux Foundation for this especially in today’s climate.