Gender-neutral language

In English, this includes use of nouns that are not gender-specific to refer to roles or professions,[1] formation of phrases in a coequal manner, and discontinuing the collective use of male or female terms.

[2] For example, the words policeman[3][4] and stewardess[5][6] are gender-specific job titles; the corresponding gender-neutral terms are police officer[7][8] and flight attendant.

[17] Examples of discontinuing the collective use of terms in English when referring to those with unknown or indeterminate gender as singular they, and using humans, people, or humankind, instead of man or mankind.

[24] In 1985, the Canadian Corporation for Studies in Religion passed a motion for all its ensuing publications to include "non-sexist" language.

[26][27] More recently, revisions to the Women's Press publications of The Handbook of Nonsexist Writing and The A–Z of Non-Sexist Language were made to de-radicalize the original works.

[39] University of Toronto psychology professor Jordan Peterson uploaded a video to YouTube expressing his opposition to Bill C-16 – An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code, a bill introduced by Justin Trudeau's government, in October 2016.

The bill passed in the House of Commons and in the Senate, becoming law once it received Royal Assent on 19 June 2017.

[40] In 2021, controversy spiked in France when the dictionary Petit Robert included the gender neutral term iel – composed of il ('he') and elle ('she').

The dictionary's director, Charles Bimbenet, stated it was added as researchers noted "an increasing usage" of the neutral pronoun in "a large body of texts drawn from various sources.

"[43] Similarly, François Jolivet, a French politician, accused the dictionary of pushing a "woke" ideology that "undermines [their] common language and its influence", in a letter addressed to the Académie Française.

The disparaging language shifts the blame on the woman for marrying the unfaithful man after getting pregnant as if society did not stigmatize single mothers,” Acting Chief Justice Marvic Leonen held.