“Dear Sir/Ma’am”
“Greetings, Ladies and Gentlemen!”
“Stand up, boys and girls.”
If you grew up in the Indian education system, the above statements are probably familiar to you. Whether it was writing countless emails to the local government about faulty traffic lights, wishing our headmistresses on their daily rounds of inspection, or obeying the commands of our beloved P.E. teachers, gender has always found a way into our daily jargon. It has been normalized so much that we have never questioned it, or even bothered to understand why this language could be potentially harmful to those around us.
From my personal experiences as a student, I can say with utmost certainty that India still has a long way to go in establishing a completely gender-neutral schooling system. So many of our textbooks are scattered with casually sexist remarks, blatant homophobia (for example, the false belief that homosexuality causes HIV), and discriminatory language. My teachers never bothered to look beyond he/she pronouns in English class, or call out my rude, homophobic classmates. Some of them even perpetuated this bigotry. But I’m a firm believer in the fact that change can take place, if only we let it. So how do we go about this?
In order to properly introduce gender-neutral terminology into the classroom, you must first focus on creating a more welcoming and supportive environment for students, as said by AJ Damalsco, a non-binary teacher and writer, for EFL Magazine.
Contrary to popular belief, gender-neutral language is not “too complicated” to be introduced to younger children. Deborah Best, a psychology professor at Wake Forest University, recently conducted a study that showed that kids as young as 5 were able to challenge traditional gender roles when exposed to them at an early age. When it comes to older kids, many members of Gen Z are already increasingly aware of those who use pronouns such as they/them, and are more than eager to incorporate gender-neutral terms into the curriculum, according to a 2016 survey by J. Walter Thompson. This proves one of my main points through this article— the fact that teaching a child gender neutral language in the formative ages will make it stay with them throughout life.
If you’re an educator, my advice would be to start by analyzing your regular vernacular, and change it to make it more inclusive. If textbooks have outdated examples, ask your students to make edits. Never divide the class simply on the basis of gender, as this may propel non-binary students into feeling isolated. Teach students to ask their peers for their preferred pronouns, and not assume them based on appearances. Encourage them to question why society is so insistent on categorizing them on the basis of gender. Teach non-binary activists. Make sure that you teach your students to reject homophobic ideals that exist in their household. Make your classroom a safe space for every student, a space where gender does not seek to divide, and a space where every identity matters.
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