A look beyond gender-neutral language
It’s a start — but only a start.
While nobody questions that gender-neutral language is not just a current hot-topic but a must in PR, it might be time to look beyond the measures that are currently being taken.
These days, it seems that gender-neutral language was invented by the rising woke culture. However, in fact, it is by no means a new phenomenon. The first public display of gender-inclusive language happened the year the Titanic sank when Ella Flagg Young, the first woman to serve as superintendent of the Chicago public-school system, used the pronoun his’er in front of a baffled crowd of principals.
Her action led to nationwide headlines and numerous discussions concerning gender equality. However, the change in language was not adopted by the public – then.
Over 100 years later, her approach has spread across countries and languages and is about to become a standard as well as a symbol for an equal society. The UN, the European Union and many more have issued their guidelines and frameworks on gender-neutral language, establishing an international codex.
The world has changed! But has it really?
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