Is it always necessary?

Over the last few months, we have been taking a closer look at gender-inclusive language, including what it is and why we should or should not use it and how it can be implemented. It is a divisive topic—especially in more heavily gendered languages. There only seems to be a for or an against, but no middle ground.

But is it possible that this middle ground might nevertheless exist? Let’s try and answer the question: is gender-inclusive language always necessary?

What kind of text?

As long as you are not bound by official rules, such as those applied to some governmental institutions, it is entirely up to you or your company to decide whether or not you would like to use gender-inclusive language.

Whether or not it would be recommended, however, depends very much on the type of text you are dealing with. A few examples:

Novels and stories

This is unlikely to be a very practical example for your everyday work, but it illustrates beautifully that the use of gender-inclusive language depends on context. Novels and stories are all about the plot. What genders or gender identities are found within a group of people is often irrelevant. Instead, readability and flow should be at the forefront of the author’s mind. Gender-inclusive language could therefore be classed as not important or even hindering to the purpose of the text.

Blogs and websites

In this section, we have to draw a bit of a dividing line between texts addressing readers directly and those that don’t.

Website content is usually aimed directly at readers. It is there to present your company, showcase its abilities and products and attract business. Therefore, gender-inclusive language should be a top priority! After all, you don’t want to risk alienating potential customers. There is a caveat though: nobody wants to be confronted by a dense wall of text on the web. Make sure to keep your text concise, even if gender-inclusive language might expand it (which, to be fair, is a lot less of a problem in English than it is in other languages).

Blogs are a bit of a mixed bag. Some are only informational, while others are instructive. As a rule of thumb, gender-inclusive language should be used in all texts that speak to readers directly. So, in instructive blog posts it would be a lot more important than in purely informational ones.

Email and other direct communications

When communicating directly with other people, it is extremely important to not alienate (potential) customers by addressing them in the wrong way. Gender-inclusive language is an absolute must in this case! Make sure to also apply this to more generic mailings, such as newsletters.

When being contacted by a person directly, their gender (identity) might not always be obvious from the start. In this case, it can be helpful to do a quick search on the web, check their e-mail signature or try and find their social media profile (if publicly accessible).

If you are unable to find that information on the web, try to use neutral language wherever possible or check which gender is usually associated with their first name.

Technical documentation, manuals and instructions

Technical documentation rarely addresses readers directly, therefore gender-inclusive language is less of a concern. An exception to this rule is manuals and instructions: here, I would personally recommend being as inclusive as possible without making the text difficult to read (which could lead to safety issues!). A great solution for this is addressing readers directly using “you.”

Summary: it depends

Gender-inclusive language: yes or no? As we have seen, there is no definitive answer to this question. It all depends on context.

Whether or not you use gender-inclusive language is up to you to decide. The only important thing is that you or your company make a binding decision, which guarantees consistency in all texts and documents. And make sure to document this decision in a style guide, so colleagues can reference the rules whenever necessary.

You have questions about the language, style guide, copywriting or translation needs of your company or need support? Please feel free to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you!