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Gender-neutral language

'Gender-neutral language' covers a wide range of proposed adjustments to language, from virtually uncontested to deeply contested. The generic use of 'nurse' instead of female-specific equivalents is a gradual, natural linguistic evolution that hardly raises objections. Imposing neologisms such as 'they' as a singular pronoun, or removing 'woman' from medical texts in favour of 'person with a uterus', is of an altogether different order – and is often driven by ideological rather than linguistic considerations.

Why gender-neutral language?

The most sympathetic argument for gender-neutral language is inclusivity: women felt themselves written out for generations by generic masculine forms ('the doctor – he'). There is a lot to be said for that. This argument is feminist in origin and aims at making women more visible, not at making 'woman' as a category disappear.

The second, more recent argument is that of non-binary inclusivity: people who identify as neither man nor woman would deserve their own linguistic forms. This argument is of a fundamentally different character. It presupposes that 'gender identity' is a linguistically relevant category, and it demands that the entire language community adopt new forms to accommodate a small minority. The scientific support for the underlying identity concept is, as described on Gender identity and gender expression, contested.

Empirical research on the effects of gender-neutral language shows mixed results. Some studies suggest a small effect on perception; other replications fail. There is no clear scientific evidence of broad societal benefits.

Gender-neutral language in Dutch

Dutch naturally has a less pronounced grammatical gender than, for instance, German or French. Many job titles are historically already sex-neutral or have become so without ideological coercion. Specific proposals – 'hen' as a singular, 'diens' as a possessive pronoun for non-binary people, replacing 'mevrouw/meneer' with 'beste' – have spread only in limited circles, mostly among younger, more highly educated and activist groups. The Dutch Language Union (Taalunie) and the Genootschap Onze Taal have pointedly not come out in favour of imposing them; the Taalunie notes that such forms remain marginal for now.

In medical and official contexts, replacing sex-specific terms ('woman', 'mother', 'breastfeeding') with so-called inclusive variants ('pregnant person', 'birthing parent', 'chestfeeding') is increasingly drawing criticism. British, American and Dutch doctors have warned that this usage leads to confusion and even unsafe situations, particularly for low-literacy or non-native-speaking patients.

Pronouns and identification

Stating one's pronouns in work profiles, email signatures and introductions has, in a short time, been introduced in parts of the corporate world, education and government. Proponents present this as a neutral form of politeness. Critics point out that the practice implicitly requires an ideological position – namely that sex and gender are distinct and that everyone's 'gender' must be announced. That is not a neutral fact but a contested view.

In countries such as the UK and Canada, court cases have arisen over whether employees can be forced to use pronouns they cannot accept on grounds of conscience. In the Netherlands this remains largely untested terrain, but the topic touches on classic fundamental rights such as freedom of conscience and expression.

Criticism of gender-neutral language

Criticism of far-reaching gender-neutral language focuses on several objections. First, the linguistic objection: new forms cut against organically grown language and are often imposed top-down by institutions – a pattern that rarely works in the history of language. Second, the political objection: replacing 'woman' with sex-neutral descriptions deprives women of the vocabulary with which to name their own experiences and interests. Sheila Jeffreys, Helen Joyce and Kathleen Stock have written extensively on this.

Third, the objection of clarity and safety: in medicine, law and scientific literature, precision of terms is essential. Blurring 'sex' and 'gender' in databases and guidelines leads to information loss. Fourth, the freedom objection: prescribed language use in companies and institutions differs fundamentally from the natural evolution of a language and touches on freedom of conscience.