Gender-Neutral Language

Gender-neutral language continues to be an expansive topic. Police officers and firefighters in Grand Rapids, Michigan recently received additional LGBTQ+ training, such as using gender-neutral language. Meanwhile, multiple articles mentioned ESPN Cricinfo’s announcement that they will use gender-neutral terms for cricket match commentary. For example, “batsman” will be replaced with the word “batter” and “Man of the Match” will be replaced with “Player of The Match”.

One article discussed how 100 out of 292 Bay State towns in Massachusetts have transitioned to using gender-neutral language. More specifically, they have shifted from using the term “selectmen” to “select board members”. Another town in Massachusetts, Anton, this week has also made the transition to gender-neutral language. One article highlighted a Jewish camp in Atlanta and their efforts to use more gender-neutral language in their forms and documents. This shift also extends to camp counselors with the camp director stating, “Instead of saying ‘all the girls go here, all the boys go there’ what are other ways we can identify when we need to move a group of people; thinking through more gender-neutral ways like ‘hey y’all.’”