California Law Requires Gender-Neutral Area in Some Stores
TimeNov 25, 2021
UK: EU Document Calling for Gender-Neutral Language Criticized
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The Facts
Conservative members of parliament in the UK are calling out a 2019 document published by the European Institute for Gender Equality that calls for EU legislators to abandon so-called "gendered language" in favor of gender-neutral alternatives.
The 61-page "Toolkit on Gender-sensitive Communication" lists a series of commonly used words and phrases that are directly or indirectly associated with gender and provides alternative terms.
The Spin
Right narrative
The EU's radical mantra about gendered language may be laughable, but it's also a dangerous threat to basic speech rights and language itself. Gender connotations are a core part of many languages. Moreover, the EU should be dealing with more crucial matters rather than committing time and resources to policing language.
Left narrative
The headlines make it seem like the EU is calling for a ban on certain words when in fact this document is just asking people to consider more inclusive terms. If there are more important matters for legislators to handle, they should attend to them rather than drumming up controversies about bad-faith culture war topics.
