MassDebate: Gender Neutral Language Is Unnecessary

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Yesterday we argued that gender neutral language is necessary to acknowledge that laws apply equally to all genders. Today, we take the opposite side.

Let's start with some definitions from Merriam-Webster:

Main Entry: man·kind
1 the human race : the totality of human beings

Main Entry: he
2 used in a generic sense or when the sex of the person is unspecified

"He" and "mankind" both have dictionary definitions defining them as applicable to all people. This usage is traditional and established in the English language. As such, the proposed gender neutrality of legislation is not unnecessary. Introducing language specific to women could raise questions about if and when laws apply differently to different genders. The argument that women are excluded from language such as "he" is refuted by the recognized dictionary definition of the word.

In order for laws to apply equally to all people, they must remain as generic as possible. Introducing language that may be unclear with regard to the gender of the people referred to merely sets up laws to be confusing and difficult to implement. Only when a law applies to a specific group of people should language distinguishing those people from a generic "mankind" be used.

Many laws are already often confusingly written and difficult to read--the new language requirement would only further obfuscate the true meaning of legislation. Our government should keep things simple with language widely recognized to apply to both men and women. The gender neutral language bill is simply an unnecessary distraction from more important legislative work.