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Objections and Great Reasons
Our juicy lemons are perfect for homemade lemonade, just like objections and great reasons for gender sensitive communication spark lively conversations.
Why it Matters
There are plenty of objections about gender sensitive language and even more reasons to use it. Some you might recognize from your own experience, others you hear all the time. Some are valid, others easy to answer. Read, compare, and keep the conversation going.
How a person speaks is entirely their own choice. No one should be forced to use gender sensitive language or adapt their way of speaking. Language is deeply personal and an important part of identity.
At the same time, new forms of language can feel unfamiliar or even uncomfortable at first. This initial unease can lead to irritation or resistance. It becomes truly problematic when certain individuals or political groups exploit this discomfort for ideological purposes, for example to reinforce traditional gender roles through criticism of language.
To prevent societal division, it is important to stay in open dialogue. Talk to others and listen when people share concerns or difficulties related to gender sensitive language. Opinions are diverse and often evolve over time or through meaningful experiences with the topic. On both an individual and societal level, adopting and learning gender sensitive language requires patience, openness, tolerance and ongoing exchange.
Source:
https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/sprachkritik-2-4-moral-statt-hasstiraden-100.html
Let’s start with a short puzzle: A father and son are driving in a car. They get into an accident and both are injured. They are taken to a hospital where a well-known surgeon works. The operation for the boy is prepared and everything is ready when the surgeon arrives, turns pale, and says, “I cannot operate, this is my son!” Confused? Many people do not immediately figure it out, which shows that women may be included in language, but are often not considered mentally. Studies have found that when people use the so-called generic masculine form, they primarily picture men.
The German language developed over many centuries in a society where men had more rights and professional opportunities than women. Since women were mostly confined to domestic roles, female terms were rarely used, while men, for example as citizens, voters, craftsmen, or professors, were considered the norm. Using the generic masculine to refer to mixed groups as if they consisted only of men has become problematic for gender equality. Language shapes how we think and raises awareness of social issues. That is why language is an important tool for promoting gender justice, not only for women but for people of all gender identities.
Source:
Heise, E. (2000): Sind Frauen mitgemeint? Eine empirische Untersuchung zum Verständnis des generischen Maskulinums und seiner Alternativen. In: Sprache und Kognition. Zeitschrift für Sprach- und Kognitionspsychologie und ihre Grenzgebiete, P. 3–13.
Some people do not identify as male or female for various reasons, or cannot be clearly assigned a biological sex. Since 2018, German law allows these individuals to register as “diverse” or “no gender specified” in their official ID, similar to biological sex. Others identify with a different gender than the one assigned to them at birth or perceived by others. Since language reflects reality, these people should also be represented in language. Just like men and women, they are entitled to linguistic visibility.
While the capital I or double forms include only men and women, gender markers such as the colon, asterisk, or gap also address non-binary and genderqueer people. By using these markers, we can make our language more sensitive and inclusive at the gender level.
Source:
https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/verwaltung/refkom/gendern/gendersternchen/
Gender markers such as the colon, asterisk, or gap are legally neither right nor wrong. According to the Handbook of Gender-Sensitive Language published by Duden in 2020, these markers are not yet part of official spelling. However, those with the widest reach are recognized as a legitimate tool for promoting gender-sensitive written expression (1). The Council for German Orthography also emphasizes that all people should be addressed sensitively and in a gender-appropriate way. At the same time, the current gender markers do not yet meet the Council’s official criteria, so no recommendation has been issued for schools, public administration, or the legal system.
In recent years, some federal states have introduced changes to their official administrative rules, often referred to publicly as a “gender ban.” These changes, however, apply only to official correspondence in government offices and state schools within those states.
Even though gender-sensitive language is currently a politically contested issue, the use of gender markers and neutral terms continues to grow steadily in many different contexts.
Sources:
(1) Diewald, G.; Steinhauer, A. (2020): Handbuch geschlechtergerechte Sprache; Wie Sie angemessen und verständlich gendern. Berlin: Cornelsen Verlag GmbH, S. 127.
https://www.rechtschreibrat.com/geschlechtergerechte-schreibung-empfehlungen-vom-26-03-2021/
That is correct. Gender-sensitive language is just one of many tools needed to achieve gender equality. However, language should not be underestimated, as it has a significant impact on how we perceive and construct the world. It therefore plays an important role in promoting gender justice.
For example, a study showed that girls are less likely to consider a job that is associated with men (women make up less than 30 percent of the field, for example in auto mechanics) if the job advertisement is written in the generic masculine. The study also found that stereotypical job titles, such as “engineer” or “nurse,” make these professions less appealing to other genders. In such cases, gender-sensitive language can help people choose careers based on their interests and skills rather than being deterred by language and the gendered images it conveys. This in turn promotes equal opportunities, which supports the long-term goal of equality for all genders in society. Language can therefore have a powerful impact on social change.
Sources:
Vervecken, D.; Hannover, B. (2015): Yes I can! Effects of gender fair job descriptions on children’s perceptions of job status, job difficulty, and vocational self-efficacy, In Social Psychology.
Gaucher, D.; Friesen, J.; Kay, A. (2011): Evidence that gendered wording in job advertisements exists and sustains gender inequality. In: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 101 (1), S. 109-128.
Depending on how it is used, gender-sensitive language can feel complicated, tiring, or cumbersome. For example, in sentences like “The colleague who is attending the meeting” written with gender markers, the phrasing can become long and complex. Often, however, there are alternatives. By rephrasing the sentence, using the plural, or choosing a neutral term, it can become much simpler. Our example can be made comfortably gender-sensitive with a neutral expression: “The person from the team who is attending the meeting.”
Gender-sensitive language is not unnatural. Language is constantly evolving, and we all shape that process. In recent years, words like “to google,” “meeting,” or “punchline” have become standard parts of everyday vocabulary. Hearing and using these words now feels normal for most people. With patience and a forgiving approach to mistakes, gender-sensitive language can also become a natural and everyday part of our language over time.
Source:
Alltagssprache im Wandel – Der Wortschatz wächst aber nicht nur
That is correct. None of the current gender markers fully meet accessibility standards in writing. For example, no screen reader pronounces the glottal stop with the correct length. The colon is read as a pause, but it is often extended, which disrupts the reading flow. The German Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired recommends the gender asterisk, not because it is fully accessible, but to promote a societal consensus on a single gender marker. The variety of gender markers is also challenging for people with visual impairments.
In addition, gender markers can make text more difficult to read for people with dyslexia. People with cognitive impairments may also encounter comprehension barriers with the current forms of gender-sensitive language. In these cases, double forms or neutral terms may be more suitable.
Gender-sensitive language cannot claim to promote the inclusion of women and other genders while simultaneously discriminating against or excluding other groups. We see gender-sensitive language as a first step in an ongoing process toward diversity-sensitive language that serves all groups equally.
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