Whatever you do, don’t call it the new “normal.” You might offend, says the NH Journal.
That’s the guidance from the Sununu administration’s Department of Information Technology for state government-run websites, according to a memo posted on the state’s internal network. (The link requires a password. The text of the memo can be found here.)
“Embracing Inclusive Language” by Director of User Experience Kathryn Michener offers guidance on informing… without offending. She — or rather “they” (gender-specific pronouns are discouraged) argues “the shift towards inclusive language isn’t about being overly politically correct; it’s about respect and empathy.”
“‘They’ is now considered a singular pronoun and should be used to replace ‘he or she’ or ‘his or her,’” the memo reads.
Many of the discouraged words are related to gender, like “chairman,” “manhole,” and “man-made” — the latter to be replaced with “human-made,” “artificial,” or “synthetic” to “acknowledge the contribution of all genders in the creation process.”
While gender sensitivities aren’t uncommon, the DoIT’s list of problematic terms contains words that aren’t widely known to be problematic, such as “citizen.” (You’re excluding “foreign tourists.”) Forget “brown bag” lunches, too. “Although seemingly innocent, this term can inadvertently reference the practice of using paper bags to determine skin color, and therefore admission to a facility or event,” the website states.
Click here to get the full report and list from the NH Journal.
