The Unintended Consequences Of Gendered Language
Written by Ariana King, Culture Staff Writer
He. She. It.
For English speakers, the distinction seems obvious: “he” and “she” are pronouns used for people, “it” is used for things. Yet, this distinction is blurred—sometimes nonexistent—in other languages.
To begin, languages can be categorized in three different ways. Neutral gender languages, like English, differentiate gender only for people, not objects (Crouch, 2017). Gendered languages such as Spanish, French and German categorize all nouns by gender. This means that while “he” and “she” apply to humans, objects also have a gender (Crouch, 2017). For example, in French tree is masculine and salad is feminine.
Then, there are genderless languages like Chinese, Estonian and Finnish that do not differentiate gender for humans nor objects (Crouch, 2017). All nouns have one, genderless pronoun (Crouch, 2017). For English speakers, the whole idea of gendered languages can seem quite complicated in a grammatical sense, but they can also complicate gender equality and human rights.
Take France for instance. Back in 2017, the first-ever school textbook that encouraged gender-neutral language came out (Timsit, 2017). For many feminists, this was a huge step in the right direction towards gender equality as gendered language has been proven to lead to more sexist environments (Timsit, 2017).
However, the textbook received enormous lash back—so much that the French Prime Minister banned the use of gender-neutral language in all government documents in response (Timsit, 2017). For many English speakers, the controversy can seem pointless. Why gender objects when you don’t have to? Using “it” for every non-human noun would make everything easier, right? Well, not necessarily.
In French, grammar revolves around gender. Changing the gender of an object also alters the spelling and pronunciation of the adjective and occasionally the verb. For example, a simple sentence “The tall man woke up” changes entirely when the subject becomes a woman.
When the subject is a man, the French sentence translates to “Ce grand homme s’est révéille”, whereas the sentence is “Cette grande femme s’est réveillée” for a female subject. Here, the gender changed everything. The possessive pronoun “this” went from “ce” to “cette.” The adjective “tall” went from “grand” to “grande,” and the verb “woke up” required the addition of an extra “e” when talking about a woman.
For this reason alone, many French people are against gender-neutral language reform. They say it would dramatically change the entire education system and make communication increasingly difficult (Timsit, 2017).
Others don’t think there is enough proof that making the French language gender-neutral would lead to a change in social norms surrounding gender inequality (Timsit, 2017). While many linguistic specialists assert that changing a language does not guarantee a change in perception, the theory of linguistic determination offers a different perspective (Timsit, 2017).
The theory states that “language determines and constrains what you’re capable of thinking” (Timsit, 2017). This means, for instance, that speaking a gendered language like French doesn’t mean that you can’t believe in the idea of gender neutrality; however, it gets you to think in more gendered terms. Yet, no matter which linguistic research you choose to believe, mixed research results are not the primary reason for resisting language reform.
Instead, the majority of those who oppose French language reform say it’s a matter of culture and tradition. Take the reaction of the French Academy, the official authority on all language matters, for instance. In response to the first schoolbook to encourage gender-neutral language, the Academy issued a statement saying that “the French language is now in mortal danger, a fact for which our nation is now accountable to future generations” (Timsit, 2017).
While it’s true that retransforming the language may erode tradition, critics of gendered language stress that culture is not stagnant. For them, language is a tool that can positively reflect social change.
However, it is highly unlikely that the French language will officially change anytime soon. It’s disappointing for many, but the situation is even more harsh for those who speak a gendered language yet fall outside the gender binary.
For Alexander Reid, the vice president of W.E. Trans Support—an organization supporting trans people in Windsor—the lack of gender-neutral language makes it even more difficult for French-speaking, non-binary people to seek out health services (CBC News, 2019). French’s lack of pronouns for gender non-conforming folks adds extra stress and discomfort during medical visits (CBC News, 2019).
In Reid’s experience, this lack of gender-neutral pronouns also forces non-binary French speakers to use English, a second language, when accessing medical services (CBC News, 2019). While the gender-neutral pronoun “iel”—a combination of “he” and “she” pronouns “il” and “elle”—exists, many francophones outside the LGBTQ+ community don’t know of it, or don’t know how to use it (CBC News, 2019).
To avoid confusion, many people Reid work with are forced to use the English pronouns they/them and avoid medical services offered in their native language (CBC News, 2019).
Of course, correct pronoun use is a difficulty faced by gender non-conforming and trans people in gender-neutral languages like English too. However, gendered languages exacerbate this issue, as the space for a gender-neutral pronoun doesn’t even exist. How can those who speak gendered-languages call non-binary people by the correct pronoun if only “he” and “she” exist?
Unfortunately, the burden of creating and normalizing gender-neutral pronouns will fall on the trans and non-binary communities themselves. In France’s case, the fact that “iel” exists—even if largely unknown outside the LGBTQ+ community—proves that subtle changes to the language can happen. Yet, due to the vast resistance to language reform, it’s up to French-speaking trans and non-binary communities to normalize gender-neutral language overall (Shroy).
While it is highly unlikely that a gender-neutral reform will be official in the coming generations, the hard work being done by the LGBTQ+ community can only result in a major cultural shift in which gender-neutral pronouns are accepted and understood.
Sources
CBC News. “Why some French-speaking non-binary people don’t seek treatment in their language.” CBC News. Last modified January 23, 2019. Accessed October 28, 2019.
Crouch, Erin. “What Happens if You’re Genderqueer- But Your Native Language is Gendered?” The Establishment. Last modified September 7, 2017. Accessed October 28, 2019.
Shroy, Alyx, J. “Innovations in Gender Neutral French: Language practices of nonbinary French speakers on Twitter.” The University of California, Davis. Accessed October 29, 2019.
Timsit, Annabelle. “The Push to Make French Gender-Neutral.” The Atlantic. Last modified November 24, 2017. Accessed October 28, 2019.