AP style updates

I have been behind, and while I was dallying elsewhere, AP dropped two style updates into my e-mail, on its entry for gay and Myanmar.

First the easy one. Add Myanmar to your stylebook and stop using Burma (if you ever did). Never mind that the CIA World Factbook still calls it Burma.

The gay entry has been revamped. The old one:
Acceptable as a popular synonym for both male and female homosexuals (n. and adj.), although it is generally associated with males, while lesbian is the more common term for female homosexuals. Avoid references to gay, homosexual or alternative "lifestyle."

Now becomes:
Used to describe men and women attracted to the same sex, though lesbian is the more common term for women. Preferred over homosexual except in clinical contexts or references to sexual activity. Include sexual orientation only when it is pertinent to a story, and avoid references to "sexual preference" or to a gay or alternative "lifestyle."

The lesbian/lesbianism entry (lowercase in references to homosexual women, except in names of organizations) has been deleted. The sex changes entry now points to transgender (it was the other way around), but the wording has not changed -- basically, use the pronoun preferred by the person.

The gay community is pleased. Story from Washingtonblade.

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