The chairman took her seat, and other gender gaffes
Helpful tips for gender-inclusive writing
Shutterstock / John Arehart / A black and white sign on a wooden door. the sign has a simplified stick figure of a human that is half male and half female. text below the human says ‘inclusive’
As times change, so do the norms for expressing gender in writing. One of the most puzzling examples I have had of this was when I was working with a monthly magazine for a not-for-profit women’s organisation. I was verifying the name of a previous state president and was completely baffled as to why the name under her State President’s Message and the name under her photo in a later article were completely different. I later learned that it was the norm in that era to use your husband’s first and last names for official purposes (such as the State President’s Message) but when representing yourself for less official purposes (such as an article about gardening) the woman’s own first name and maiden name were used. Imagine the confusion!
As you write, be aware that there are several ways that gender may be expressed in writing:
titles or honorifics, such as Mrs, Ms, Mr, Lord and Dame
gendered nouns, such as husband, stewardess, actress and salesman
pronouns, such as he/him, she/her and his/hers.
Titles and honorifics may be used for more formal communications, and if at all possible it is best to consult with the person concerned if unsure of which title they use. The current standard is to use Ms and/or Mr, unless an alternative title is known. However, the use of gender-neutral titles, such as the non-binary titles Mx, Misc. or Ind. should also be taken into consideration. It is therefore important to consult with people before publishing their titles.
Gendered nouns are often used to describe roles or positions, or are used to describe a common grouping of people. Chairman, mailman, mankind and freshman are some examples. Gender-neutral terms such as chairperson or chair, mail carrier or postie, people or humanity, and first-year student are just a few words we can use to replace these examples of gendered nouns.
Pronouns are used as substitutes for other nouns. Historically, pronouns have reflected gender, such as the masculine he and him, and the feminine she and her. There are plural gender-neutral pronouns that are used to refer to groups of people, such as they, but singular gender-neutral pronouns are really only used to describe inanimate objects, such as it. When referring to a specific person, as you might consult with them on their title, you should also consult with them on their pronoun. She/her, he/him, they/them, ze/hir and co/cos are possible pronouns that could be used. The Conscious Style Guide (https://consciousstyleguide.com) is a great resource to explore non-binary pronouns.
Using gender-neutral language is a way to make your writing inclusive. Many people avoid defining gender by using more than one pronoun, for example, by using terms such as ‘he/she’ or ‘he or she’.
When purchasing a car, he or she should bring two forms of identification.
Some use the plural ‘they’ as a singular ‘they’.
When purchasing a car, they should bring two forms of identification.
Some make the subject plural.
When they purchase cars, they should bring two forms of identification.
Some replace the pronoun with a more descriptive word.
When purchasing a car, the buyer should bring two forms of identification.
Some writers alternate between male and female pronouns when referring to people in general. So, for example, in one paragraph you might use feminine pronouns and in the next masculine pronouns. However, this option isn’t ideal and may in fact lead to more confusion. It also ignores those who are non-binary.
On a last note, remember that gender may also be conveyed in the information you include in your writing. Rarely does an item of clothing feature in a headline about a male scientist, yet it is somehow normalised when discussing female scientists. Type ‘describing women scientists’ clothing’ into your search engine and plenty of examples, articles and journal papers appear. An article I particularly like the title of appeared in the journal Public Understanding of Science: ‘Bimbo or boffin? Women in science: an analysis of media representations and how female scientists negotiate cultural contradictions’.
Avoid mentioning characteristics that really don’t matter to the core message you are communicating. This can lead to gender bias … which may be a good topic to cover in a future blog.
