The use of words was never an innocent and simply descriptive matter. We employ euphemisms to avoid terms that don’t sound so good (it’s not the same to say that a person has little grace than to say directly that they are ugly). Gender Language
From a historical point of view, the use of the terms evolves from the change in the mentality of a society (in the past, people with some mental disability were called abnormal or disabled, whereas in the language of medicine it was stated that they suffered from idiocy).
On the other hand, the terms masculine and feminine had and have a very different social evaluation . For example, when the fox is a man, it is someone very cunning, but when a woman is referred to a promiscuous or prostitute.
In recent years, some sectors of the feminist movement have proposed a change in language
Those who advocate a gender-inclusive language, also known as non-sexist language, propose a new style of communication in order not to discriminate against women. From his point of view, instead of talking about “teachers” or “citizens” in a general sense that includes men and women, other denominations should be used like “teacher” or “citizenship”. Gender Language
The phrase “lawyers gathered to express their dissatisfaction” excludes female lawyers and, therefore, is a statement that marginalizes women dedicated to the field of law.
In feminism, it is argued that language is masculinized and this circumstance makes women invisible. To eradicate the marginalization of the feminine in communication, an alternative is proposed: a language in which there is no inequality related to gender.
Following this line, in the media and in the political sphere , it is common for the speaker to differentiate between deputies and female MPs, between friends and female friends, etc.
There are several arguments used among those who do not share the use of a language.
When male gender is used to generalize there is no exclusion or discrimination from females. In the phrase “boys should be vaccinated”, the male gender is used as a matter of language economy and not to exclude girls. Gender Language
On the other hand, a possible alternative would be an unnatural message (eg, “vaccination is important in childhood” or “both boys and girls should be vaccinated”).
The permanent use of a difference between male and female alters the fluidity of any message, whether spoken or written
Inclusive language guides provide examples that should not be used and those that should be used in different areas: in the media, in speeches, in regulations, in official documentation, etc. For some, this approach is inadmissible, as it implies an artificial intervention on the way each individual communicates .
