Language and Communication Guide - Gender and Diversity

Where all genders are meant, no gender attribution is intended or no specific gender group is addressed, the gender can be neutralised linguistically.

Decide according to the context whether linguistic neutralisation is the best option. Depending on the content and intention, linguistic visualisation may also be more sensible. This is especially true for contexts in which gender attribution is desired (e.g. if you want to highlight the leadership function or academic success of one or more women).

You have various options for neutralising gender in German language:

Gender-neutral nouns and abstractions ending in "-ung", "-person", "-kraft", "-leute", "-berechtigte", "-hilfe"
(e.g. die Person, das Mitglied, der Mensch, die Leitung, das Dekanat, der Vorsitz, der Kontakt, die Mitarbeit, die Vertretung).
Adjectives
(e.g. die forschende Person, die prüfende Person, die betreffende Person)
Substantiated participle-present forms in the plural
(e.g. Studierende, Mitarbeitende, Lehrende, Teilnehmende)
Gender-neutral plural forms
(e.g. Beschäftigte, Angehörige, (Erziehungs-)Berechtigte, Eltern, Gäste)
Designation of function
(e.g. Leitung, (Team-)Mitglied, Vertretung, Vorsitz, Kollegium, Präsidium)

The gender star is a "wildcard" for all genders and also breaks up gender binarity in language.

In order to improve the readability and comprehensibility of the texts, the administrative office of Fulda University of Applied Sciences uses the simplified spelling with gender star*.

In the simplified spelling, the gender star is only used in the noun, between the root and the grammatically feminine ending.

Articles, pronouns, adjectives etc. refer to "die Person" (the person) and are therefore usually only used in the feminine form.

e.g. die Mitarbeiter*in - includes any person working in the company, regardless of gender,

eine ausgebildete Akademiker*in - includes any academically trained person, regardless of gender.

If the * in the middle of the noun does not make sense, it is placed at the end of the noun.

e.g. die Vorgesetzte*- includes any superior person, regardless of gender.

See the annex to § 8a at the end of the VerwGO (in German).

Die Studierenden sind herzlich eingeladen, auch Familie und Freund*innen mitzubringen.
Eine Kolleg*in sollte die Organisation koordinieren.
Die Student*in hat einen tollen Beitrag geleistet.
Alle Mitarbeiter*innen, die Elternzeit beantragen, müssen die Formulare in der Personalabteilung einreichen.

Pronunciation

The spelling with an asterisk can also be pronounced by inserting a short pause, a so-called glottal stop, before the "-i" of the ending e.g. die Mitarbeiter[pause]in

Grammar

The gender asterisk is not to be compared in its use and meaning with abbreviated spellings such as the internal-i or the slash and also does not replace the linking word.
die Student*innen =/= "Studentinnen und Studenten"
die Student*in =/= "Studentin oder Student".

A term with inclusive spelling can basically be treated as one word which (like the person/people, member/members, guest/guests, etc. also) is gender-neutral. By using the asterisk (the "gender wildcard") you indicate that any gender is meant here. The (in german) supposedly masculine part of the word is not declined.

e.g. der Kurs der Professor*in, die Teilnahme der Student*innen

After consultation with the Institute for the German Language, it can be stated at the moment that the gender asterisk is a "typographical distinctive spelling" which is "outside the orthographic norm".

Since this spelling has not yet been codified, "at present [...] only a pragmatic approach can be recommended, which consists of choosing a means of marking from the available suggestions that best suits one's own needs [...] and practising this uniformly so that no room for interpretation arises".

Direct salutation

Combine different forms of address (Good day, Hello, Welcome, etc.) with the first name or first and last name of the person you are addressing to avoid incorrect gender attribution, or use the gender asterisk (e.g. Liebe*r/Liebe*/Lieb*, Sehr geehrte*r/Sehr geehrte*/Sehr geehrt*).

Possessive pronouns

Refrain from using possessive pronouns if possible. Instead, use the simple article or paraphrases with "own" or "personal" (e.g. the own proofs, the personal documents).

In addition to the gender star, generally, there are other signs that are used to address all genders.

The underscore, also called gender gap, (e.g. Student_innen) symbolically stands for a free space between, but not outside of male and female gender identities. Furthermore, it should be noted that the blank space cannot always be interpreted as a free space, but also as empty/nothing, and is therefore not recommended by all people without reservations.
The colon (e.g. Professor:innen) is often used because many screen readers read it as a pause, similar to a glottal stop. However, the colon lacks the symbolic meaning of the gender star and gender gap. The German Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired does not recommend the use of the colon for gendering. Taking accessibility into account, the use of gender-neutral terms (e.g. professorships) and the use of the gender star is recommended instead.

Gender is made visible in academic titles via the endings "-in" or "-a", which can be optionally superscripted. Superscripting is possible via the key combination "Ctrl" and "+/*/~" or in the Microsoft Word menu bar via the field "^x2". In addition, the gender star can also be used for "-in" endings.

Prof. – Prof.in / Prof.ⁱⁿ– Prof*in/Prof^*in
Dr. – Dr.in / Dr.ⁱⁿ – Dr*in / Dr*ⁱⁿ
Mag. – Mag.a / Mag.^a – Mag*a / Mag*^a

The direct form of address also simplifies gender-sensitive formulations in forms and job advertisements.

Your name / Your signature / Your address instead of: name / signature / address "der Antragstellerin oder des Antragsstellers"

Personal data / Own signature / Own address

If gender is to be asked in forms or questionnaires, give an option beyond male and female or let gender be indicated on a scale.

Enquiry about other genders via items:

o Open
o Divers
o I cannot clearly assign myself to one of the genders mentioned.
o No answer

Enquiry about other genders via a free field:

Gender: __________

Enquiry about other genders via scale:

Where do you place yourself? Put a cross on the scale.
male _ _ _ _ _ _ _ female

Also use the different spellings in job advertisements. Ensure consistency in the text document.

The University of Applied Sciences Fulda has a vacancy for a ...

Mitarbeiter*in
Referent*in
Studienkoordinator*in
Abteilungsleitung

... to be filled.

In language and text, also pay attention to other dimensions of linguistic and structural disadvantage due to social attributions, and be open to other perspectives.

Try to avoid discriminatory stereotypes and check language and text for racist, classist, sexist as well as heteronormative or neuro/psycho- and physionormative attributions.

Terms and descriptions related to the characteristics listed below should never be used as swear words or for the purpose of disparagement!

Whether a formulation is insulting or hurtful is decided by the people concerned, not by structurally privileged persons.

Ethnic origin and racist attributions

Refrain from mentioning ethnicity if it is irrelevant in the context and creates negative associations. Choose accurate, non-generalising terms and phrases.

Do not infer other characteristics of a person from ethnicity and be aware of the impact of existing terms and their implications, especially with regard to inequalities.

People with an international history instead of foreigners
People of Color [self-designation]
Sinti/Sintiza, Roma/Romnija
international studentsinstead of foreign students
refugees/people seeking protection
irregular migration/undocumented migrationinstead of illegal immigration

Religion and worldview

Make an effort to use language that is free of prejudice with regard to all religions and worldview concepts. Consciously formulate against constructions of enemy images and sensitise yourself to anti-Semitic and Islamophobic statements.

Muslim people, people of Islamic faithinstead of Islamic people
religious minority instead of sect

Also be careful not to choose phrases and expressions with historical connotations that have either undergone a change of meaning or can be read that way.

Social origin and economic living conditions

When presenting and describing social origin, social status and economic living situation, also choose unprejudiced and differentiated formulations.

affected by poverty/economically disadvantaged/in a precarious income situation instead of poor
(currently) experiencing homelessness/being affected by homelessness instead of homeless
The facts must be described in an understandable way. instead of: The facts must be formulated in such a way that the little man from the street can understand them.
social mobility instead of social advancement/relegation

Physical and mental impairments and disabilities.

Render the perspectives of people with disabilities or impairments. Refrain from making your own presuppositions about other people's emotional state or everyday life. Do not instrumentalise people to sensationalise or inspire people who are not disabled in society.

People with disabilities, people with hearing or visual impairments, "living witha disability" instead of "suffering from a disability/mastering life despite a disability"
barrier-free instead of disability-friendly
mentally impaired instead of mentally ill/disturbed

Age

Especially when describing older and young people, make sure that all age groups are presented in a qualitatively equal way. Do not portray any age group as a burden on society.

students instead of "Studis"
young womeninstead of girlies/chicks
young meninstead of guys
person to be examined instead of examinee
person undergoing apprenticeship instead of apprentice
older people, people of advanced ageinstead of Oldies
demographic development instead of overageing

Sexual/romantic orientation and gender identity.

Move away from stereotypical descriptions of LGBTIQ+[4] people and heterosexuality and heteronormative lifestyle concepts as the social norm.

Parents organise childcare in partnership. instead of: Mother and father organise childcare in partnership.
same-sex couples instead of gay/lesbian couples
same-sex marriage instead of "gay marriage"
Are you married/in a relationship? instead of: Do you have a husband/boyfriend/wife/girlfriend?
transgender[5]/transidentinstead of transsexual
The gender identity is different from the sex assigned at birth[5]. instead of: The person used to be a woman or a man/ The person was born in the wrong body/ The person is actually a woman or a man.

[4] LGBTIQ+ is a collective term and stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex, Queer and other affiliated gender identities and sexual or romantic orientations (hence "+", e.g. pansexual, asexual, polyamorous, etc.).

[5] If the gender identity and the sex assigned after birth are the same, the adjective "cisgender" is often used to describe it. The adjective "transgender" describes gender identities that differ from the sex assigned after birth.

Also, when using images in teaching and advertising, make sure that stereotypes are not reproduced. Choose images that respectfully portray the people shown.

Look for visible physical diversity in relation to all attributions and an equal representation on an equal footing. Photos with social groups should therefore be as heterogeneous as possible.

Examples of visual language List

Women in masculine connotated fields of work and in active activities
Men in feminine-connotated fields of work and in supporting activities
People who experience racist attributions in professional high and socially prestigious positions
People, and especially women, with religious head coverings in professional high and socially prestigious positions.
older people in active (modern) jobs
same-sex couples (also with children)
people with a disability in all social contexts where you also show people who do not experience a disability
older and younger people in joint social exchanges
the diversity of people beyond the conventional ideal of beauty

Gender-neutral formulations

Chairperson instead of Chairman
Buisnessperson instead of Businessman
Humankind, humans, humanity, people instead of Mankind
Police officer instead of Police man
Flight attendant instead of Stewardess/Steward

Use the gender-neutral singular they/them/their in your texts.

The new student lost their textbook. If anyone finds it, please return it to them. They would be very grateful, because they themselves weren't able to locate it at all.
If a student needs help, they can ask the professor.
Is your child adapting to their new environment?

Refrain from using possessive pronouns here as well, or choose the plural form

An applicant must bring a CV. instead: An applicant must bring her/his CV.
Applicants must bring CVs.

Personal titles and form of address

Note that the distinction between "Mrs" and "Miss" is no longer appropriate! Instead, use the abbreviation "Ms" (pronounced with a soft voiced "s").

Ms Jenkins and Mr James

Choose the first and last name in letters and emails to avoid incorrect gender attribution.

Dear Patrick James...
Dear Susan Jenkins ...

Use gender-neutral terms also in ceremonial speeches.

Ladies and Gentlemen, dear guests, ...
Dearest colleagues and friends, ...

Study orientation

Hessentag in Fulda

myHFD" campus app

Gender and diversity
sensitive language

Contact person

Rebecca Biermann

Contact

Info

Gender and diversity sensitive language

Examples of visual language List

Contact person

Rebecca Biermann

Gender and diversity
sensitive language