Oh goody, it’s Inclusive Terminology Guidance time again.
Its new ‘Inclusive Terminology Guidance’ instructs members to stop using words and phrases including ‘elderly’, ‘female politician’ and ‘mothers and fathers’. Also discouraged are ‘able-bodied’, ‘sex-change’, ‘homosexual’, ‘a nutter’, ‘youngster’ and ‘sexual preference’.
The guidance recommends replacing ‘gendered job titles’ with ‘gender-neutral terms wherever possible’. Members should say ‘chair’ instead of ‘chairman’, ‘police officer’ instead of ‘policeman’ and ‘parents and carers’ rather than mothers and fathers.
I agree with the part about not saying ___man when the meaning is generic, i.e. it’s not referring to a specific male cop but to a general sex-unknown cop. Same with mailman, delivery guy, etc. I’ve agreed with that for decades. But what does that have to do with mothers and fathers? The words “mother” and “father” are not job titles. Some kids lack one or both, so in some contexts it might be best to say “parents”, but that doesn’t mean canceling the words entirely.
A section is also devoted to what members should do if they inadvertently commit a linguistic transgression. In a relief to those who may struggle to navigate the party’s lexicon, the guidance reassures them that ‘it’s okay to make mistakes from time to time’ – provided they are trying. Those who fail to use the sanctioned language are advised to apologise, thank whoever pointed out their error, and ‘adjust your language moving forward’.
Mmmno. Way too Stalinist. Sorry.
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