In a recent speech, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his support for a bill aimed at banning inclusive language in public education and government documents. Macron argued that in the French language, the masculine form serves as the neutral, asserting that there’s no need for added punctuation or gender-neutral language.
French Resistance to Inclusive Language
The issue at hand revolves around the practice of “langage inclusif,” which aims to de-center the masculine form and provide gender-neutral alternatives when referring to individuals of all genders. This is achieved through methods such as writing both masculine and feminine forms of words or utilizing punctuation marks to combine them. For instance, “commerçant” refers to a male shopkeeper, while “commerçante” refers to a female shopkeeper. Advocates of inclusive language may use forms like “commerçant.e” or “commerçant-e” to address shopkeepers regardless of gender.
Responding to Macron’s stance, the group Tract des Linguistes countered that the notion that “the masculine acts as the neutral” contradicts scientific evidence. They argued that the exclusive use of the masculine form can lead to ambiguity and affect gender equality, citing studies showing that fewer women respond to job offers written exclusively in the masculine form.
The Controversial Bill and Its Critics
Despite opposition from the left, the French Senate passed the bill, banning inclusive language in a 221-82 vote. Some left-wing senators argued that this decision represents an attempt to hinder linguistic evolution. Moreover, the bill goes beyond punctuation marks, as it also targets nonbinary pronouns like “iel,” formed by combining “il” (he) and “elle” (she). Whether the bill would extend to language that entirely avoids gendered pronouns and nouns remains unclear.
Proponents of the bill claim that inclusive language makes writing “unreadable” for dyslexic individuals, but this assertion lacks empirical support. Dyslexic feminist Géraldine Dubuis challenged this argument, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity in language. She highlighted the absence of substantial research on the topic and stressed that inclusive writing allows everyone to feel included and understood.
The bill now awaits a vote in the National Assembly, where its fate will be determined in the coming months.