Why is gender-inclusive language important?

EDITED

In the words of the European Parliament, “Gender-neutral or gender-inclusive language is more than a matter of political correctness. Language powerfully reflects and influences attitudes, behaviour and perceptions. To treat all genders equally, efforts have been employed since the 1980s to propose a gender-neutral/gender-fair/non-sexist use of language so that no gender is privileged, and prejudices against any gender are not perpetuated.”?

The main objective of using gender-inclusive language is to address our readers, our public, in a way that makes them feel represented, makes them feel included in the conversation. This is even more significant when we are attempting to engage in topics that affect everyone in different ways depending on their environment or circumstances.?

The language used by some media companies can shape our beliefs, values, and perceptions. It can represent new ways of thinking, change attitudes and challenge stereotypes.

Although the number of media platforms opting for a more inclusive gender-approach has increased in recent years, as linguists we should be continually working to help improve gender inclusivity.?

To summarise, just because people live in situations that differ from those lived in by those who are generally decision-makers doesn’t mean they cannot express their thoughts and offer solutions. This is what gender-inclusive language aims to do.??

How do we use gender-inclusive language?

To answer this question, we must remember that each language has its own ways of expressing gender-inclusion.?

For example, Latin languages like Spanish or French use different endings depending on words denoting masculine, feminine or neutral nuances. In these cases, the solution for a direct gender-inclusive approach is using endings that do not correspond to either of the genders.?

In Spanish (generally, we usually use these endings, though there are exceptions):?

• O for masculine options
• A for feminine options
• E/X/@ for neutral options used in gender-inclusive language.

These endings often apply to determinants, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs.

In French (again, generally, because there are exceptions):?

• Endings like -consonant, -é or?-ier?usually denote masculine options
• Endings like -consonant+e,?-ée or -ière?frequently denote feminine options
• The ending -iste is what we consider an “epicene” ending (that does not indicate gender) for both nouns and adjectives
• We form the partial feminine options of adjectives, by adding a dot in between the speech marks, but they will remain binary and gendered. Specific cases: “terminé·es.”

In English, we express gender by, for example, using elements such as suffixes (“duke” → “duchess”) in nouns, but there are also some words that change completely depending on the gender (“brother” → “sister”). With this in mind, in English we may need to use entirely different words to denote the neutral option (like “sibling(s)”).????

To synthesise, we could establish that the characteristics of gender-inclusive language will vary depending on the language and the family to which the language belongs.

However, it is also true that languages are mobile and constantly changing, and there are often similarities between languages. This is because speakers frequently copy and adapt structures and other elements of language from one language to another.?

Spanish examples of words that vary in gender by changing the ending (“-o/-a”) such as we find in French are quite obvious. However, did you know that US English also has examples of endings or combinations that are typically used in Spanish? A good example is the case of “Latinx” to refer to a non-binary individual from the Latin American community.

Although those speakers that opt for defending the “purity” of languages (which can be an entirely different topic for debate) may consider this an inconvenience, this proves that languages are constantly evolving and changing.

How using gender-inclusive language in the workplace can change everything

Workplaces should be safe environments where people can express their thoughts and opinions, but that is not always the case.?

When companies promote the use of gender-inclusive language in workplaces, we acknowledge that women and other often-ignored groups do have a voice, can contribute valuable solutions, and are entitled to a better future. Furthermore, when the misrepresentation is ignored, this consciously or subconsciously creates more unnecessary barriers.?

Gender-based violence is everywhere. Have you noticed that the kind of language used by some media companies when speaking about women (especially victims of certain crimes) is an example of what can happen when we don’t fight for better representation?

We have just come to the end of the month of June, which made more public the fact that lately, companies have started publicly supporting women and the LGBTQ+ community in campaigns. However, it is obvious that many of these companies are doing this simply to look good and that change has not filtered down to the level of company policy. There is a name for this phenomenon:?purplewashing.

So, how can companies implement inclusion, rather than just seeking to profit from this topic?

• Let’s talk about wage inequalities and use that conversation as a way of learning how to provide equal opportunities.
• Let’s acknowledge that not all women are the same by educating everyone in the company (including those in higher positions) to recognise and challenge harmful societal norms and gender-based stereotypes.
• Let’s address gender inequality by acknowledging and confronting discriminatory practices within organisations.

Other areas of inclusion to consider

When we talk about inclusion, it’s not all about gender. When we discuss inclusive language, there are many other aspects to consider, all as important. For example, we can speak about race, disabilities, immigration status, housing status or health status.

And how can we remember all this when we address someone? How can we know when to use each? When we talk about inclusion, the idea is not to choose which one we will apply, but to use a language and a tone that are respectful and address everyone at the same time.??

• For instance, there are a few words we can avoid, like “negro” or “Oriental”. Instead, we will say “black” (or “Black,” if we pay attention to the?New York Times’ guidelines ) or “Asian.”
• In the same way, we won’t say “imbecile” nor “retarded,” and we will use the term “disabled” instead or “with different abilities.”?
• Finally, we won’t say “vagrant” but “homeless;” and we will not use “illegal immigrant” but “undocumented migrant” or simply “migrant.”

These are just a few examples of how one simple word or expression can be harmful to a person or a community. Since there is no point in attacking people arbitrarily, maybe it is about time that we started to think twice before we speak about the impact of our words on people.

If inclusive language is about respecting others, why are so many people against it?

To answer this question, we can say that it’s probably because gender-inclusive language (especially in languages where new endings were created to express it) represents a way of changing mentalities, ways of thinking, and people often don’t like change.?

Some say that it’s not real, that it’s disruptive, and that it does not respect the language’s natural rules of morphology. They don’t realise, though, that languages are in constant evolution, and it’s either by contact with other languages or because new words are created generation after generation (just to present some reasons for said changes).?

In languages like English, new words are created all the time, often for mere marketing purposes, but it does not seem to matter as much as when we talk about gender-inclusive language. Why the double standards?

Could it be because our societies are built on the basis that men should provide for their families and therefore run the economy? Or that white men are the only ones that should have a say in decision-making situations? Some refuse to accept that the situation is evolving, but the truth is that it is already changing, and linguistic, as well as social, variations are a proof of that.

Languages are not only a tool to express messages. They also represent the way we think. Therefore, gender-inclusive language is not only several random changes that some decided to implement in our everyday main communication tool. They represent a social revolution. Could that be what some people are afraid of?

Conclusion

Inclusive language of all sorts aims to change the way society thinks and elaborates on women and other social groups that are often underestimated and undervalued and to start a debate on social issues that would be, otherwise, ignored.

The language we use matters because the way we express ourselves shapes the way we think and the way the world sees us. By choosing to use a more gender-inclusive approach, we are helping those who are frequently ignored and misrepresented in decision-making situations have their voices heard. Ultimately, we will all benefit from this.

However, if we do go down this path, it is important to pay attention to those situations in which opportunities for profit-makers may carry more weight than the chance to help others feel represented. Profit-making opportunities do not benefit everyone, as investors and customers are more aware than ever of phenomena like purplewashing and may take their resources elsewhere. It’s time to get real!

References:

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/151780/GNL_Guidelines_EN.pdf

https://www.scribbr.fr/elements-linguistiques/le-genre-masculin-feminin/

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/12/us/latinx-term-usage-hispanics-trnd/index.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/05/insider/capitalized-black.html