I definitely think it’s important to pay attention to language when a simple substitution can avoid issues. Maybe it’d be better to use the word “evaluation” or “stewardship” rather than “gatekeeping”?
“High-impact” might also be a good substitute for “elite”.
However, I dislike it when people change words for political reasons. It seems like bad practice for a number of reasons, for example imposing cognitive/jargon costs on everyone.
I would suggest using contentious words when substitutes would significantly impede communication or obscure the point being made, but otherwise being flexible.
I definitely think it’s important to pay attention to language when a simple substitution can avoid issues. Maybe it’d be better to use the word “evaluation” or “stewardship” rather than “gatekeeping”?
“High-impact” might also be a good substitute for “elite”.
I would suggest using contentious words when substitutes would significantly impede communication or obscure the point being made, but otherwise being flexible.