Of ladies, women and other beings!

In the last few days we have been receiving repeated inquiries about a draft resolution that was published on the website of “The Left Council Faction Flensburg”.

Note/EDIT: Since it wasn't clear at first, we'll clarify again that there are TWO applications. A serious one - and an added satire.

The first draft resolution did NOT come from the left, but rather the “WiF Council Faction Flensburg ” a proposal in the Flensburg town hall : The city of Flensburg replaces the term Councilwoman (RF) with the term Councilwoman (RD). Reason: The term “lady” denotes the position of a woman in the social field and is the polite form for describing a female being as a woman.

First of all: This is not a hoax!

The original application can therefore be viewed as serious, the “ supplementary application ” to the WiF application is probably intended more as satire. This was subsequently submitted by the council faction DIE LINKE: “Gender-fair language” and includes, among other things:

From now on, work equipment/equipment from all work areas in the city of Flensburg will be designated in a gender-neutral manner. This applies in particular to work tools/equipment designated grammatically with a masculine article (“the”):

Designations that are modeled on job titles:

• the scanner,
• the computer,
• the pencil sharpener,
• the copier,
• the vacuum cleaner etc.

Further designations should be creatively modeled on existing double forms:

• the wastebasket/basket,
• the letterhead,
• the trash can, etc.

Excepted from this are nouns...

• which are formed with a nominalization suffix (-keit, -heit, -ung, etc., especially if they carry the feminine article “die”), e.g. the meeting, the agenda, etc.
• which grammatically carry a neutral article (“the”): the paper, the document, etc.
• that designate a place (the hallway, the canteen, the Xth floor, the waiting area, etc.)

The FIRST application is serious, the second is NOT.

She reads the justification for the second application as follows:

In the interests of a socially just and anti-discriminatory society, it is unacceptable that nouns that describe a work tool/means are often only used with masculine articles. This perpetuates the patriarchal habit of characterizing human, mechanical or technological work as predominantly “male”. Even in the realm of modern technology, many of these nouns are still used with a “masculine.” -In the sense of a gender-neutral language or language that encompasses all gender types, a double form must therefore be used. This applies to oral and written language in all areas of administration and local politics in the city of Flensburg.

What does the Left Party in Flensburg say about this?

On the Left's website, the publication of this proposal is used to have fun with it: people reject the first proposal, but also their own proposal.

reject the WiF's application and also recommends this for its own supplementary application, which by creating new terms such as "the scanner", "the waste bin" or "the vacuum cleaner" will at best provoke fits of laughter 13 floors of the town hall should be provided.

Further information and sources can be found at: “ Of ladies, women and other beings / the left flensburg.” de / ”