Language as an Agent of Oppression: Just like any other language, English has the potential to reflect and uphold social power structures. Through gendered language, sexist idioms, and linguistic patterns that uphold established gender norms, it has the potential to oppress, suppress, and repress people. The marginalization of non-male genders can be facilitated, for instance, by the usage of gender-specific pronouns or a propensity to speak in a male-centric manner by default.