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Controversy over refusal to use ‘gender-neutral language’ by Berlin mayor “Everybody should be able to understand”

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zoom inMayor Kai Wegner (center) of Berlin, the capital of Germany, took office on the 27th of last month (local time). For the first time in 22 years, a centre-right mayor has been born in Berlin. Berlin = AP Newsis

The British daily Guardian reported on the 22nd (local time) that the mayor of Berlin, the capital of Germany, recently refused to use ‘gender neutral language’, saying, “I want to use a language that everyone understands.”

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Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner said in a recent interview with German media outlet Bleed that he is not signing administrative papers written in gender-neutral language and plans not to sign them in the future. “The important thing for me is a language that can be understood,” he explained. “Anyone can speak the way they want, but I want to speak German that everyone who has learned at school can understand.”

Wegner, who took office last month, belongs to the center-right Christian Democratic Party. It is the first time in 22 years that a mayor belonging to the Christian Democratic Party has been born in Berlin, which has strong leftist support.

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The Guardian reported that Mayor Wegner’s position conflicts with discussions on the introduction of gender-neutral language, which have been active in Germany in recent years, and is a subject of debate. In German, nouns are classified as masculine, feminine, and neuter, but when making them plural, masculine nouns take precedence, and opinions have been raised that this use of language is sexist.

Accordingly, some regions of Germany, such as the city of Hanover, introduced a ‘gender-neutral language use policy’, requiring all documents related to administration to be written in gender-neutral language. In other words, gender-neutral nouns are used instead of gender-specific nouns when indicating occupations or positions. German airline Lufthansa has even replaced “guests” instead of “ladies and gentlemen” when greeting passengers.

“Our thinking is influenced by language,” said Johanna, a German linguist who is a proponent of the use of gender-neutral language and has published an online dictionary written in gender-neutral language. It is an expression that shows the .”

In response to the controversy, Mayor Wegner countered that gender-neutral language could prevent immigrants to Germany from understanding German. “We expect people who come to Germany to learn German,” he said. “The German authorities should not make it unnecessarily difficult for (immigrants) to learn German.”

The debate over gender-neutral language in Germany is expected to continue, the Guardian reported. Regarding this controversy, the Christian Democratic Party adheres to the position that gender-neutral language is not needed, saying, “Despite the use of masculine nouns, former Chancellor Angela Merkel became the first female chancellor in Germany.”

Source: Donga

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