What is inclusive language and why is it dangerous?

[Michie]

The move toward so-called inclusive language finds its origins in the feminist movement where activists considered sexist the generic masculine form of words, which has perennially been understood to include both men and women.

In the past, for example, no one thought of challenging “for the good of mankind” as excluding women. However, the feminist movement drew heightened sensitivity to what activists considered the “patriarchal” nature of language.

Various publications started to use terms or forms of words that made it clear that a job could be performed by both men and women. Hence “fireman” became “firefighter” and “mankind” became “humankind,” etc.

While some of these changes are not that dramatic or noticeable in English, introducing inclusive wording in languages such as Spanish, where nouns are either grammatically masculine or feminine, becomes quite obvious due to the novel alteration of noun endings.

Gender-neutral language has similarly become an issue in Germany, as German nouns are also either masculine or feminine.

Inclusive language has also been identified as “one of the tools” of gender ideology, a school of thought that has been repeatedly criticized by the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis has warned about this school of thought on several occasions. As recently as March 1, for example, the Holy Fatherpointed out that gender ideology “erases differences and makes everything the same; erasing differences is erasing humanity.”

What does inclusive language mean?​

Continued below.

What is inclusive language and why is it dangerous?

Inclusive language has been identified as “one of the tools” of gender ideology, a school of thought that has been repeatedly criticized by the Catholic Church.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

 

[RileyG]

Thanks for posting

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

hmm...

So the author is saying that changing the language to be more inclusive is "gender Ideology" and danger because... (I am not clear, honestly, but it seems that) ...it makes language purists (I don't have a better word for the various organizations claiming we are "breaking" languages) unhappy.

Ooo.... scary.

I'm an engineer, but I got my education in a large research institution and took the opportunity to take classes outside the technical college. I've studied Middle English literature. I had to learn who to read and speak Middle English in order to actually study "Gwaine the Greene Knight", Chaucer, etc. You, dear reader, couldn't understand English as spoken at late as the early 1500's. You probably would have difficultly in Shakesphere's time.

My point ?

Language evolves. We're in the middle of a large scale language change. It's not just the inclusive stuff, it's the vowel shift happening in English in the Eastern United States, the evolving use of the gendered endings in the Romance languages worldwide. (They all seem to be evolving away from masculine and to neuter just generally - but I don't speak any Romance languages, so I don't know from first-hand knowledge). German has been dropping the gendered usage for at least 2 generations (I do speak enough German to know this).

What ?

Is this happening because of some "ideology" that needs to be fought back ? No, it's just the way things are, and, IMHO, anyone or any organization that is willing to claim that there is some nefarious "ideology" behind all these are themselves language fanatics who have some ideological reason for being against language change generally.

And, let's face it, no organization hates change more than the Catholic Church. It's its greatest weakness historically.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, get a broom, sweep back the tide. You'll have better luck.

...and lighten up, it's just change, no one is trying to destroy civilization as we know it.