The way we communicate is constantly changing. Changes happen in language, culture and individual expression in a society. Inclusive, neutral or non-binary language emerges as part of this process of understanding who we are and what we want to communicate.
Inclusive language: how to communicate with everybody
Language’s transformation
Language is guided by all the people who use it, it doesn’t exist in a hypothetical or untouchable scenario. Language changes to keep up with everyday social events and the role of those who communicate is to adapt.
In the case of these new proposals, it is necessary to decolonize knowledge, to give up our idea of language in order to welcome the new – which will also undergo constant adaptation. It means thinking from new paradigms.
The need for change has arisen on the internet as a result of the ever-deepening discussion surrounding the topics of gender, identity and sexuality, and for one simple reason: it is through language that we communicate globally.
Brands and organizations are currently discussing how to implement a horizontal conversation based on the following precepts: respect, inclusion and diversity. So how can communicators adapt their writing or speech to include everyone? The first step is to understand the differences between languages.
Neutral, non-binary and inclusive language
Is there a difference between neutral and inclusive language? The answer is yes!
Neutral or non-binary
Neutral or non-binary language discusses gender binarism (masculine and feminine), and questions the possible partiality of language by placing the ending ‘o’ as neutral in the Portuguese language, in the case of “sejam todos bem-vindos” and “obrigado a todos”.
Gender markings place the masculine as “neutral” and the feminine in the space of the “other”, as Simone de Beauvoir once said. This ‘undefined’ placement of one’s self, or rather, an existence relating directly to a man and anything from him. Faced with this criticism from social movements, a process began to adapt the Portuguese language.
Neither X nor @
Initially, on the internet, people exchanged ‘o’ for ‘X’ or even ‘@’. However, these are not accessible options as they can be detrimental to those who use assistive technologies to read on the internet.
Neutrality is the proposal for a new structure beyond binarism. A language that is non-exclusive. For this, some communication systems have been created, such as ‘Elu/Delu’ and ‘Ile/Dile’, options equivalent to ‘they/them’ in English. Neutrality in this case introduces verbs and adjectives to match the gender of the speaker. It does not apply to animals or things.
On the internet, words like ‘todes’, ‘amigues’ and ‘bem-vindes’ have become commonplace, they are part of the second system (ile/dile) and have become a central point in the discussion of language change.
Inclusive language
As for inclusive language, it proposes a new form of non-violent and respectful communication, avoids stereotypes, prejudiced and discriminatory expressions, but does not present its own system. It seeks to adjust our communication to all people, take advantage of the linguistic repertoire and explore the countless possibilities of the Portuguese language.
Inclusive language in day-to-day life
For people working in the field of communication, is it possible to use inclusive language on a daily basis? Here are some tips on how to do so.
The Brazilian Superior Electoral Court (TSE) has produced the Inclusive Language Guide for Gender Flexion with a focus on social communication, the guidelines are based on the Inclusive Non-Sexist Language (Lins).
One of them is to use, in everyday life, words that show collectivity, adjectives without using gender demarcation and replace gender-marked words with neutral ones. For example: “all and everyone” or “citizens”. Thereby, opting for words that do not characterize a specific gender or that embrace both, such as society or people.
Eliminate masculine pronouns
Another option is to eliminate pronouns that make masculine references. “The coworkers”, (in Portuguese “os colegas de trabalho” is used), to “coworkers” (“colegas de trabalho”). In the case of common nouns with two genders (interpreter, immigrant, client and boss), just remove the element that demarcates gender to avoid the generic masculine.
The use of “person(s)” and “who” in place of masculine nouns can also be a good solution. Notice how these two words have been used a few times since the beginning of this text?
The rules for Spanish are similar to those applied in Portuguese. In English, the gender demarcation is not so present, so what changes are the pronouns.
The concern is also with all aspects of society: gender, race, sexuality, visible or nonvisible illnesses and the age of the audience.
In the end, it’s about the amount of care of those who write for those who read. Audiences are made up of unique people with their own histories, contexts and experiences. Therefore, it is important that these people feel respected when reading your text.
Inclusive brands in Latin America
In Latin American countries, brands are moving forward and creating advertising campaigns and various internal initiatives. Google Brazil, for example, has implemented the use of inclusive language in the company’s internal communication, and has developed a manual to be applied in training so that everyone has these language options.
The [SSEX BBOX] Institute, a Brazilian non-governmental organization that developed the ‘ile/dile’ system, has already signed several partnerships with brands to make spaces inclusive and connect diverse voices. iFood and Doritos Brasil were some of the brands that partnered with the institute, as well as Uber, Disney, TikTok, Unilever and Adobe.
Brands have realized the importance of representativeness and diversity in advertising campaigns, and it is now necessary for people who communicate to pay attention to what is reproduced today – the result of transformations that have taken place in language over recent decades in the Brazilian historical process, and are set to continue.
