In this school, we replace the words "mom and dad" and "boys and girls" by more inclusive expressions.

At Grace Church School in New York City, an inclusive language guide was distributed to staff earlier in the year, as well as to students. This includes avoiding or replacing certain expressions, deemed alienating or disrespectful.

In this prestigious school, where the school year costs nearly $ 60,000, the priority is inclusiveness and respect for others. While for several years there has been awareness of the presence of discrimination in language, this establishment has decided to produce and distribute a guide, with the aim of"Eliminate harmful assumptions from how we interact with each other", as reported by NBC News.

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In its pages we can read: “While we recognize that hate speech that encourages racism, misogyny, homophobia and other forms of discrimination is already covered in our textbooks, we also recognize that we can do more than ban hate speech; we can use language to create welcoming and inclusive spaces. " Thus, it is indicated that expressions such as "boys and girls" or "ladies and gentlemen" should be replaced by words such as "persons", "people" or "friends". Students should also be consulted on how they identify themselves, before they are supposedly assigned a gender based on their appearance or clothing.

Tolerance and acceptance

Although this school is undoubtedly Christian, the language guide also includes suggestions for religious holidays. Instead of " Merry Christmas ", we prefer phrases such as " have a nice holiday ". With regard to diversity, the booklet suggests that the pronunciation of words such as “minority” be avoided and replaced with “person of color”, if this is how the student identifies. "Mom and dad" should be referred to by words such as "adults, persons or family".

George Davison, principal of the school, contacted by NBC News, said the guide, which went live in September, has captured the attention of students and parents alike in a positive way. He says there is no clearly stated prohibition on the use of certain words or phrases within the school, but that this guide has been edited to avoid assumptions being made. “We've been trying to help families find the right words for years and this guide was designed to help with that process, did he declare. Families come in all shapes and sizes and always have been. "

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Assumptions about people's sexual orientation are also a central concern of the school. “People have the right to love whoever they want to love,” the language guide says. Avoid making assumptions about how adults identify in the present or how children might identify in the future. Sexuality can be fluid over the course of a person's life ”, details the guide.

In France, inclusive writing at the heart of debates

On our side of the Atlantic, we are not yet at inclusive language in schools, far from it. All eyes are currently on inclusive writing, which drives the most heated debates. On Tuesday 23 February, a bill aimed at prohibiting its use in administrative documents was tabled by some sixty LR and LREM deputies at the National Assembly.

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But why such tension, in a world which, no matter what, is tending to change (and fortunately)? While some call for more equality in writing, others cry for uselessness and illegibility. “Tackling spelling, by taking refuge behind inclusive writing, is a very small fight in the cause for gender equality! ", said François Jolivet, LREM deputy from Indre, behind the bill. Yet, if we have to start somewhere, the way we express ourselves on a daily basis, in writing and orally, is still the first bulwark to be dismantled.