Anyone obtaining public funds should not face premature death, according to Weimer. - Public funding recipients should not prioritize gender issues
In a move that has sparked debate, Germany's Culture Minister, Wolfram Weimer, has imposed a ban on the use of gender-inclusive language in official communications within his department. This decision, made in spring 2024, extends to no publicly funded institutions, including museums, foundations, and public media [1][2].
Weimer argues that gender-inclusive language does not reflect how the majority of people in Germany speak and claims that it deepens social division rather than promoting unity [1][3]. Under his authority, the roughly 470 employees in Berlin and Bonn have been directed to use standard German language forms instead, such as the salutation "Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren" ("Dear Madam, dear Sir") [1].
While the ban applies to official communications, Weimer stresses that privately individuals remain free to express themselves using gender-inclusive language if they choose [1]. This policy aligns with guidelines from the Council for German Orthography, emphasizing traditional language norms [1].
The federal government and the state of Weimer have also adopted this stance, avoiding words with gender asterisks [2][4]. Thuringia instructed its state agencies to avoid "grammatically incorrect gender language" at the end of 2022 [4].
Weimer's stance on gender-inclusive language has been met with controversy. Many conservatives strongly oppose it, while others argue that it aims to prevent gender discrimination. Weimer, however, has expressed his rejection of "paternalistic language education" in an interview with the "Bild am Sonntag" newspaper [1]. He believes that enforced gendering does not reflect how the majority in Germany speaks and deepens societal divisions.
This ban on gender-inclusive language in official settings is a significant development in Germany's language policies, reflecting a growing debate about the role of language in promoting inclusivity and unity.
[1] The Local [2] Deutsche Welle [3] The Guardian [4] BBC News
The decision by Germany's Culture Minister, Wolfram Weimer, to enforce a ban on gender-inclusive language in official communications within his department and related institutions has sparked a heated discourse, aligning with the guidelines from the Council for German Orthography and following similar stances by the federal government and the state of Weimer [1][2]. This policy-and-legislation, however, has been met with contentious critique, with critics viewing it as a step towards gender discrimination, while Weimer, influenced by politics, argues that it promotes unity and is more reflective of general-news language norms [1][3][4]. The debates surrounding this community policy and the role of vocational training in fostering an inclusive language environment continue to unfold in the realm of policy-and-legislation and general-news.
