Wokeness gone awry?: Government body bans councils from using words such as 'mom' and 'dad', sparks fury
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: A new language guide issued by the Local Government Association in UK has been met with heavy criticism. It instructs councils to stop referring to parents as "mother" or "father" but "birthing parent". Several other traditional words have also been axed from usage, with their woke replacements now taking their place.
The Inclusive Language Guide was issued went on to ban other words such as "expat", "second generation", "economic migrant", "homeless" as well as "lifestyle choice," as per an article by The Daily Mail.
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The guide is an extensive document spanning over 18 pages. It was further reported that terms such as "disabled" or "able-bodied" in reference to staff members have also been banned. According to The Sun, the guidelines had been sent to local authorities in an email from Mark Lloyd OBE, chief executive of the Local Government Association.
Reports revealed that the aim of the guide is to instruct council chiefs, particularly on the role of language in such as way that it incorporates "equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion." Furthermore, the instructions also advise council chiefs on aspects that promote inclusivity. An employee's personal background should only be referred to "when it is relevant, necessary or led by the person," it added. The guide also referred to the personal experiences of individuals, explaining, "Experiences of trauma, racial trauma and exclusion are already experienced at disproportionately higher rates by LGBTQ+, black and neurodivergent people in the workplace."
Proposing alternatives, the language guide made suggestions that phrases such as "welcome ladies and gentleman" could be replaced by a more inclusive greeting such as "welcome everyone" during gatherings and public events. "People who are not "ladies" or "gentleman" may recognize the difference, feel included and that they belong," was the advice.
However, the attempt at inclusivity by banning long-used traditional terms has not been appreciated by many. A senior council source described the document as "woke" and termed it patronizing. According to The Sun, a senior local government source said, “This hogwash really does beggar belief. Local government workers are in it to make people’s lives better, and treat everyone with dignity and respect. This guide is woke, patronising codswallop.”
The association clarified, "Councils are committed to ensuring that everyone is treated with dignity and respect. This guide is designed to help councils ensure everyone is supported and respected when they look to their local public services for help."