The EU has called for “gendered language” such as “no man’s land” to be abandoned by European lawmakers, urging them to use gender-neutral alternatives such as “unclaimed territory” instead.
The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), which is an official EU agency, has published a 65-page “Toolkit on Gender-sensitive Communication,” which is described as “a resource for policymakers, legislators, media and anyone else with an interest in making their communication more inclusive.”
“Equality between women and men is a fundamental value of the EU, and EIGE’s task is to make this a reality in Europe and beyond,” the document reads.
The text then proceeds to list gender-neutral alternatives to common nouns that legislators can use.
For example, instead of “man,” it recommends using words like “person,” “individual” or “human being”.
Moreover, instead of “businessman” or “businesswoman,” it advises using the phrase “business executive.”
And rather than “steward” or “stewardess,” it recommends using gender-neutral terms like “flight attendant.”
Furthermore, the document lists a number of adjectives that “carry a gender connotation,” and as such supposedly shouldn’t be used.
For example, according to the text, instead of describing someone as “bossy” or “pushy,” they should instead be described as “assertive.”
It also claims that people should not be called “emotional” or “hormonal,” but should instead be dubbed “passionate,” “enthusiastic” or “empathetic.”
The document further advises lawmakers not to use the term “virile,” but should instead use an alternative term like “strong” or “energetic.”
Instead of describing someone as “loose,” they should be described as “having sexual confidence,” among other examples.
The authors of the document also list a number of “gender discriminatory” terms which “exclude women”, along with their gender-neutral alternatives, including:
– “Mastermind” (to be replaced with “Creator”)
– “Masterplan” (to be replaced with “Grand Plan”)
– “Joe Public” (to be replaced with “Average Citizen”)
– “Man hours” (to be replaced with “Staff hours”)
– “Master of ceremonies” (to be replaced with “Host”)
…and more.
It even says that the classic Star Trek tagline “To boldly go where no man has gone before” is an example of a phrase where “women may be subject to invisibility or omission.”
The toolkit further goes on to urge legislators to reverse the order of common terms like “husband and wife” (saying “wife and husband” instead), “brother and sister” (“sister and brother”), “King and Queen” (“Queen and King”), and more.
The document further acknowledges “gender neutral” neo-pronouns, such as “xe/hir/hirself” rather than saying “he” or “her.”
As previously reported on Gript, an official HSE guide for healthcare workers currently urges the use of “non-binary” gender pronouns, including “they” and “ze”, if a patient requests it.
“Be mindful of your privilege”: An official HSE guide for healthcare workers has urged the use of “non-binary” gender pronouns such as “ze” or “xir,” and says that “biological sex” is a “spectrum.”#gripthttps://t.co/GWolzcfM8G
— gript (@griptmedia) May 8, 2023
The Irish governments forthcoming “hate speech” bill features protections for genders “other than that of male or female” – though, when asked by Gript how many genders there are, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar replied that the government has “no official position” on the matter.
Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says his government has "no official position" on how many genders there are, even though genders "other than male or female" are protected categories under his government's hate speech bill.#gript pic.twitter.com/wH0kKmUnLP
— gript (@griptmedia) June 26, 2023