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Victorian Public Servants Told Not To Say 'Wife' Or 'Husband' To Promote Inclusivity

Victorian Public Servants Told Not To Say 'Wife' Or 'Husband' To Promote Inclusivity

The Victorian government's new LGBTIQ+ Inclusive Language Guide helps staff know what they should and shouldn't say.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Victorian public servants have been given a revised edition of their LGBTIQ+ Inclusive Language Guide.

It asks staff to use specific language when referring to different people or groups to ensure people are not left out.

The terms to avoid include 'wife' and 'husband', to provide better inclusivity for non-heterosexual couples, while judges are also moving away from gendered phrases like 'mister' and will instead use the term 'citizen' or 'plaintiff' to avoid assuming people's gender identities.

The 11-page language guide helps give people a good rundown on what words or phrases are acceptable.

According to the Herald Sun, the document says: "Inclusive language ensures we don't leave people out of our conversations or our work. Do not address someone on the phone by gendered terms such as 'madam' or 'sir' if you don't know their gender.

"Avoid using language such as 'wife' or 'husband' that assumes all relationships are heterosexual, as this excludes non-heterosexual people and devalues their relationships."

When addressing groups, people are urged to say 'welcome everyone' or 'hello folks' instead of 'hey guys' as the latter term is gendered.

Staff who use the wrong terminology, phrase or term are urged to apologise immediately after making the mistake and then move on.

The guide adds: "Don't dwell on it, and don't give up - keep trying to get it right."

This isn't anything new and many private companies and businesses have been introducing policies similar to this to make the working environment as inclusive as possible.

Japan Airlines revealed in October that it would be replacing 'ladies and gentlemen' in its in-flight and airport announcements with gender-neutral expressions.

The airline would instead use 'all passengers', 'good morning' and 'good evening' in its English announcements and use the Japanese term 'minna-sama', which is an honorific form of 'everybody'.

"We have committed to not discriminate based on gender...sexual orientation, gender identity or other personal attributes," a JAL spokesperson told Reuters.

The decision brought the company in line with Air Canada and EasyJet, who have been using gender-neutral language since last year.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Australia