Women's Rights & Issues

niyad

(119,642 posts) Wed Feb 24, 2021, 08:35 PM Feb 2021

Should First Lady be capitalized? So we have Dr. Jill Biden. Most people cannot be bothered with

her title (and I refuse to capitalize any qop's name or title, but that is just me.). So I go to google, and find conflicting style manual answers, including the one from the very traditionalist ?White House museum, which says no, unless followed by name. Then ?I found the answer from DRM about everything (sorry, my computer will not let me link, or copy and paste), which says that lack of capitalization of First Lady is basically a sexist holdover.

So, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden it is.

5 replies

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Should First Lady be capitalized? So we have Dr. Jill Biden. Most people cannot be bothered with (Original Post) niyad Feb 2021 OP

It may be capitalized when referring to a specific First Lady torius Feb 2021 #1

The 1980 AP Style Guide says not to capitalize in either case. Same with first family. They say not brewens Feb 2021 #2

As I said, the various style manuals conflict, so I will go with the one that makes sense to me. niyad Feb 2021 #3

I would capitalize when combined with the name, First Lady Jill Biden but not Lettuce Be Feb 2021 #4

And so I shall. niyad Feb 2021 #5

torius

(1,652 posts)

1. It may be capitalized when referring to a specific First Lady

Reply to niyad (Original post)

Wed Feb 24, 2021, 08:48 PM

Feb 2021

or a U.S. one (esp. in U.S. publications’ style manuals) but not for the general term. Certainly as a title before a name it should be. “President” is like that too. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden is (shocker) First Lady. Joe is President Biden. Biden is President. But, you might use lower case as a general term, such as “a first lady or first gentleman is the spouse of a president” in general.

brewens

(15,359 posts)

2. The 1980 AP Style Guide says not to capitalize in either case. Same with first family. They say not

Reply to niyad (Original post)

Wed Feb 24, 2021, 08:50 PM

Feb 2021

a formal title. That may have changed.

niyad

(119,642 posts)

3. As I said, the various style manuals conflict, so I will go with the one that makes sense to me.

Reply to brewens (Reply #2)

Wed Feb 24, 2021, 10:38 PM

Feb 2021

Lettuce Be

(2,339 posts)

4. I would capitalize when combined with the name, First Lady Jill Biden but not

Reply to niyad (Original post)

Wed Feb 24, 2021, 11:57 PM

Feb 2021

if merely referring to her but not saying her name, the first lady. How often would one refer to the first lady without saying her name though? Not often. If in doubt, can't go wrong with always capitalizing.

niyad

(119,642 posts)

5. And so I shall.

Reply to Lettuce Be (Reply #4)

Thu Feb 25, 2021, 08:40 AM

Feb 2021

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