Victorian government discourages “husband” and “wife”, but “zie” and “hir” are in, by Rebecca Urban.

Victorian government workers are being discouraged from using “heteronormative” terms such as “husband” and “wife” in a new guide to communicating with the LGBTI community.

Instead, the workers are being schooled in adopting gender-neutral pronouns “zie” and “hir”. …

Ro Allen, the state’s first gender and sexuality commissioner, encourages businesses also to use of the guide, saying that equipping people with correct language will “promote safer spaces” for LGBTI Victorians.

While the document aims to counter the prejudice and stereotypes experienced by LGBTI people, it has been ridiculed for pushing contested ideology about gender as a social construct. …

Centre for Independent Studies senior research fellow Jeremy Sammut said “It’s a totalitarian project dressed up as liberation theory … I would think it is possible to treat people with respect and respect people’s privacy without resorting to this.”

A thousand years of evolution of the English language through a variety of ages and all of a sudden it is inadequate when it comes to certain people? We need government guides? I think not.

hat-tip Stephen Neil