How to Use a List in Your Speech

You must know by now that we do like to use a good list in our speeches. That's because your public speaking list really is a top speaker's tip. However, short lists work best and really long lists don't work at all. Of course, we're always looking for an example of a bad list in public speaking and, that list is typically a long list.

So this week we were very amused by a speech given by Senator Sharon Keogan in the Upper House of Ireland's Parliament, the Senedd Ehren in Dublin. The Senedd has the role of scrutinising and commenting on legislation proposed by the main House, the Dáil. This means that senators can only comment on and can't block proposed legislation. So, it's very much a talking shop. And that's certainly the impression we gleaned from Senator Sharon Keogan's speech.

Now Sharon is an independent Senator in the Senate and her speech last week was because she wanted to propose amendments or comments on amendments 5, 7, 9, 10 and 11 to the Criminal Justice (incitement to violence, hatred and hate offences) Bill 2022.

Senator Uses a List in Her Speech to Great Effect

If anybody thought that Senator Sharon Keogan was going to speak for a long time, then perhaps the wad of papers that she had in her hand did give the game away. Since she has a reputation for free expression, free speech and civil liberties.

Now the beginning of her speech went without incident. But it was only when she reached amendment 9 and she outlined the fact that there could be 72 genders in the Bill, or eventually in the Act, which could include but not be limited to…and thus, we had the list.

And at this moment did any of her fellow senators in the chamber anticipate what was going to happen next? Perhaps not because Senator Sharon then read out a 25-minute long list of all of the potential genders that could be included in the bill. Yes, a full 25-minutes worth. We've reproduced the list here today. And what fun it was.

The definition of amendment No. 9 aligns the definition with Irish law. If we are to accept the Government’s definition, however, this would mean there would be at least 72 genders, including, but not limited to, agender, abimegender, adamasgender, aerogender, aesthetgender, affectugender, agenderflux, alexigender, aliusgender, amaregender, ambigender, ambonec, amicagender, amorgender, androgyne, androgynflux, anesigender, angeligender, anogender, anongender, anteisgender, anxiegender, apagender, apconsugender, apertusgender, aposgender, aquagender, aquariusgender, archaegender, argogender, aristogender, aritgender, artistigender, astroflux, astralgender, atmosgender, atturgender, autigender, autogender, axigender, axiogender, azuregender…

We had the odd interjection to her list, such as this from Senator Barry Ward.

The God-help-us gender.

However, with only a small point of order, on she went with her list.

bafflegender, bakeragender, biogender, blizzgender, blurgender, boggender, bordragender, boyflux, brevigender, burstgender, cadensgender, caelgender, cancegender, canisgender, cantogender, caprigender, cartogender,

cassflux, cavusgender, ceasgenger, celestgender, cendgender, centrigender, cervugender, chaosgender, circgender, circumgender, clarigender, cloudegender, clowngender, codegender, cogitogender, coldgender, collgender, comfgender, compgender, composgender, congruogender, constellgender, contigender, contingender, corugender, cosmigender, cosmicgender, cumulogender, cyangender, cyclogender -

please forgive me if I pronounce some of these incorrectly; they are quite extensive and if I do offend anybody reading this out and making mistakes, I apologise.

Senator Keogan's List Continued

It also includes: dahlgender, dampgender, dazegender, deltagender, demigender, demifluid, demiboy, demigirl, demienby, demiflux, demosgender, denatigender, dentrogender, depressogender, deservgender, desigender, devisgender, divigender, diminugender, dreamgender, dulcigender, dustgender, dysporiagender, edafogender, egogender, egender, ecliptgender, effloragender, eldrigender, elegender, elementgender, elixgender, elusigender, embergender, emptgender, engypgender, englobgender, enigender, enthugender, endromogender, eonogender, epicgender, epigender, equilibrigender, evaporgender, evokegender, exgender, expansgender, expecgender, extergender, extragender, fabricagender, facetgender, fadingender, faegender, fawngender, faunagender, fazogender, felisgender, femfluid, femgender, fenesgender, feugender, fictigender, firegender, flamgender, flashgender, fleursgender, flexigender, flickergender, flingender, flowgender, fluidgeterogender, fluidgeterosexual, fluigender, fluxfluid, fluxgender, fluxiongender, foamgender, folgender, fontgender, forgender, fornogender, fragagender, fraggender, frangender, frictgender, frigidgender, frondgender, frostgender, fugigender, fugugender,galactigender, galegender, gallugender, gallopgender, genderflux, genderfluid, genderlight, gendersatyr, gendersea, genderwood, generagender, genicgender, geogender, geologender, gerangender, gigglegender, glaciagender, glistenogender, glitchgender, gloomgender, glossogender, glowgender, gluemgender, gringender, gritgender, guarigender, guasgogender, gullgender, gunigender, gustgender, gynefluid, gynogender, gypsgender, hagigender, haigender, hallgender, halogender, haplogender, hasragender, havogender, healgender, heartgender, hedgegender, heligender, hermetigender, hexagender, hidrogender, himagender, hipogender, hoarigender, hollowgender, hornagender, horsgender, hostgender, hubgender, hurricangender, hydrogengender, hygender, hypegender, hypergender, hypogender, imbergender, immogender, impulsigender, inagender, indagender, indiogender, infinitigender, insigender, intellagender, intergender, intraflux, irascgender, irisgender, isogender, itergender, itinogender, itzigender, januagender, jentagender, jocusgender, jorgender, junggender, junipergender, justgender, kaleidogender, kaleidoflux, kallogender, keplergender, kerfuffleflux, kinetigender, kissgender, koloragender, kolorgender, kryptogender, kurogender, laconicgender, laggender, lamellgender, lampadgender, lamposgender, latigg, latensgender, lavendergender, lentesgender, leogender, lepigender, lissgender, lividgender, locustgender, logigender, longegender, loopgender, loticgender, lownessgender, luggender, lumigender, lunalogender, lunargender, lurgigender, lusterogender, luxgender, macrogender, magogender, magpiegender, magnogender, majestigender, magogender, malugender, maplegender, marengender, marigrugender, marvelogender, mascgender, maskgender, masonagender, matkigender, maxigender, meandgender, mechagender, medigender, medleygender, melanchogender, melegender, melodigender, memigender, mentegender, mercurialgender, messogender, metamorphogender, microgender, midasgender, miegender, migragender, mimogender, moltgender

The Senator's Speech List Went On

And, with the odd sip of water,  she continued…

The list includes microgender, midasgender, miegender, migragender, mimogender, moltgender, momentigender, monegencer, mooncangender, morphogender,

mossgender, motigender, mountainogender, movender, multigender, mundagender, mungender, muragender, muscisgender, mutaegender, mythogender, napgender, narritogender, nebulagender, nefasgender, negogender, neligender, nemergender, neptunegender, nervigender, netergender, nexgender, nicogender, nightgender, nimbusgender, nocgender, nomigender, non-binary, non-genegender, non-gegender, novagender, nullgender, numerigender, nuxgender, nyctogender, oasgender, obliquesgender, obnuvigender, oculogender, odorgender, offgender, omegagender, ominogender, omnisgender, omniverigender, onimogender, onirigender, ontogender, oobgender, opacigender, opalusgender, opengender, oppigender, opulengender, opusgender, orbisgender, orchegender, orchigender, oreogender, orgagender, oscilligender, osmagender, overcastgender, ovogender, oxgender, oxtongender, ozgender, pacigender, pagender, paleogender, pampaflux, pampogender, panarcticgender, pandanagender, pangegender, pantasexgender, paragender, parallogender, parasolgender, parchgender, particgender, pastgender, patagender, pegasgender, peligender, perennialgender, perigender, perimmonogender, permagender, perrigender, persecutogender, persephonogender, petrolgender, phantasmgender, phlegmagender, photogender, phototropogender, phtorogender, pianogender, pictgender, pietagender, pigeongender, pinkgender, piogender, piscigender, plasmagender, plathgender, platogender, pleasgender, ploidgender, plutogender, poetrigender, polargender, polarisgender, posifluxgender, positivogender, possgender, potegender, prairiegender, precarigender, precipigender, primgender, prismagender, privagender, probabiligender, prodigender, prodromgender, profectgender, progenigender, proliflux, propagender, prospicgender, protogender, purgogender, pyrogender, quartzgender, quasigender, questgender, quietgender, quindrigender, quinxgender, radgender, radiantgender, rainflux, rainogender, raptorgender, ravengender, raygender, rayongender, readygender, realmgender, recurrigender, reflectogender, regender, regigender, reinigender, relicgender, religender, renitentgender, repentagender, respigender, restitugender, retrogender, revigender, revivagender, rexgender, rhythmgender, rimegender, riptidegender, rishigender, rivenergender, rivergender, roangender, robotgender, rocciagender, rockygender, rogender, romanticgender, rosagender, rosegender, rotundgender, rubygender, runegender, rustgender, rushgender, sablegender, sacralgender, safegender, sagittgender, sagittariusgender, salvogender, sammagender, sandalwoodgender, sandgender, sangagender, sanctigender, sapflux, sapgender, sapphgender, saturagender, scenogender, scentergender, scutgender, seagender, secludogender, sedatagender, selfigender, sensorgender, sentiogender, sepiagender, sequiogender, serenogender, shapgender, shardgender, shattergender, shifgender, shiftfluid, shiftgender, shimmergender, shipgender, shoalrogender, shoegender, shygender, siamgender, sibligender, sickgender, sidegender, sigmagender, silangender, silicogender, silkgender, simulagender, singender, singularity gender, sinistergender, sirengender, sixgender, skategender, skeingender, skygender, skylargender, sleepgender, slidegender, sloggender, slushgender, smarogender, smilegender, smoggender, smokegender, snowgender, softgender, solaragender, solemgender, solidgender, solilogender, solivagender, solugender, somnigender, sonargender, sonicgender, soragender, soupgender, soundgender, speedgender, spheregender, spicgender, spillagender, spiritogender, splashgender, splendorgender, spookgender, spraygender, springgender, spritegender, spritzgender, spurgender, squallgender, squawkgender, squeegender, stadiogender, stagegender, stalactigender, stalagmitgender, starlightgender, stargender, staticgender, stellargender, stelligender, sterngender, stillgender, stormgender, stovagender, stratagender, streamgender, streetgender, strigender, strobeogender, struggender, subflu, subgender, subjugender, subrigender, subterrangender, successogender, sungender, sunrisegender, sunsetgender, supergender, superflux, supinegender, supperogender, surfigender, surprisgender, surreogender, swamgender, sweltergender, switchgender, swordgender, sybylgender, synergigender, synodgender, syrengender, systegender, tabogender, tadpolegender, tailorgender, tantalumgender, tartargender, tasselgender, techfluid, techgender, tempestgender, temporalflux, temporalgender, tenebrogender, tensiongender, tentgender, terggender, terragender, tesseragender, testigender, texturegender, thalassogender, thawgender, themoflux, themogender, thistlegender, thorogender, thoughtgender, threadgender, thrilligender, thrumgender, thunderogender, tidalgender, tidegender, tierogender, tigender, tigerogender, tiltgender, timegender, tornadogender, touchgender, towergender, tracegender, trafectgender, transgender, transgenderqueer, transientgender, transitgender, trianglegender, tricousgender, tridensgender, triformgender, trilixgender, troughgender, troubadorgender, trowgender, trumpetgender, truxgender, tsunamigender, turbogender, turntablegender, tutelgender, twingender, twirlgender,

twittergender, twilightgender, twinkleflux, twinklegender, typgender, typogender, tyrogender, ultragender, umbragender, umbramalgender, unabigender, unarrowgender, unbinary, unblurrgender, unclogender, underflux, underogender, unfogender, uniformgender, unigonogender, uniquefluid, uniquender, unknogender, unogender, unsegender, unsungender, unumgender, updraftgender, upliftgender, upperogender, uranogender, urgogender, urnanogender, urnogender, ursaegender, usherogender, utapendragender, utensigender, utopiangender, vacatgender, vaggender, vagabondgender, vaguegender, valencygender, valleygender, valorgender, vangender, variegender, veilgender, velocitygender, veldgender, vellumgender, velvetgender, vendergender, vengeogender, venusgender, verbflu, verbgender, versatogender, vespgender, vibragender, victorygender, viergegender, viletendergender, villagender, vinegender, violaflux, violagender, virtuegender, visiongender, vitagender, vitalgender, voidgender, volatogender, voltigender, voyagegender, vulcangender, wailgender, wargender, watergender, wavegender, waxgender, weathergender, webgender, wedgender, welcomegender, whispergender, whistgender, wightgender, willowgender, windgender, windowgender, windyflux, wintegender, wintergender, withergender, wobblegender, woodgender, woolgender, workgender, wovengender, wrathgender, wrenogender, wringergender, xagender, xemeogender, xenogender, xerographgender, xestergender, xilogender, xylogender, yarnogender, yawnogender, yearninggender, yellowgender, yeldgender, yoigender, younggender, youthgender, ytterbigender, zephyrogender, zeroesgender, zigzaggender, zodigender, zoegender, zonogender, zoomgender, zygender, and zyrenogender.

Senator Keogan Finishes Her Speech. And Her List

And, at last, Senator Sharon Keogan finished her list and noted.

It is worth noting that if the Minister were to accept our amendments today, she might avoid the possibility of a constitutional referendum down the road.

The Senator does have some style and a good set of lungs to get through this list. However, even then we heard a fellow Senator, Tom Clonan, note that because the list is finite, there's a problem.

It is a finite list, so it cannot purport to represent the infinite variety of all human beings which, as I said, should be celebrated.

Good grief! That comment reinforced the entire point of Senator Sharon's speech. But on a serious note, this does indicate the challenge when you use a list in your speech. It has to be short.

When you are looking for some hints, tips and suggestions for your own speeches, then you'll find plenty here at Time to Market. Because with more than 100 top tips for speakers and presenters, there's a tip for every event. Plus, when you want to enhance your own public speaking skills that bit further, then you'll find an online course is just the ticket for your success.