Council drops gender-specific terms for senior positions

No more Madam or Mr Chairman! Woke south coast council drops gender-specific terms for senior positions as local authority’s ‘small win for equality’ is branded ‘nonsense’

  •  Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council dropped gender-specific terms
  •  Move will see chairman and vice-chairman referred to as chair and vice-chair
  •  Councillors L.J Evans and Lewis Allison put forward the proposal last year

A council has dropped gender-specific terms for its senior positions in an effort to avoid offending people.

Conservative-run Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council has voted in favour of dropping masculine and feminine terms and will now adopt gender-neutral language for senior positions.

The move will see the chairman and vice-chairman of committees now being referred to as chair and vice-chair. 

People will also be called ‘they’ in the future rather than being referred to as ‘he’ or ‘she’ or ‘Mr or Madam chairman’.

Poole People Councillor L.J Evans, who put forward the proposal along with Labour councillor Lewis Allison last year, said the changes were ‘a small win for equality’ and ‘not political correctness gone mad’.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (pictured) has voted in favour of dropping gender-specific terms for its senior positions 


Poole People Councillor L.J Evans (left) put forward the proposal along with Labour councillor Lewis Allison (right) last year

However one elected member of the local authority deemed the move ‘nonsense’ and said changing language was ‘just a pointless exercise’. 

Last year councillor Evans argued that using masculine or feminine terms was ‘unnecessary’, and removing ‘he and she’ would prevent unconscious bias and stop people using ‘reinforced historic gender stereotypes’.     

Speaking on the latest move, Cllr Evans, of the Poole Town ward, said: ‘Over the past year a working group has been reviewing BCP Council’s constitution.

‘They have ensured that gender-specific pronouns have been removed and that the terms chairman and vice-chairman have been replaced with chair and vice-chair.

‘One year on from my original motion, I am pleased to report that these changes have now been approved by full council.

‘Officers have also made the decision to specify their pronouns on communications so that it is clear how they choose to be addressed.

‘This is a small win for equality, but still a cause for celebration and I look forward to ensuring that these changes are carried forward throughout BCP.

‘This is not political correctness gone mad.

‘Language reflects and influences attitudes, behaviours and perceptions.

‘By moving to gender-neutral language we avoid implying that one gender is the norm and help to tackle unconscious bias.

Councillor Ann Stribley, of the Parkstone ward, deemed the move ‘nonsense’ and said changing language was ‘just a pointless exercise’

‘The government has pledged to address violence against women and girls and one way of doing this is by ensuring they are respected and valued in our society.’

Members supported the change as part of a number of alterations to the BCP Council constitution, which was voted through after amendments on other subjects at a full council meeting earlier this month. 

However, another councillor said things had ‘gone too far’ and labelled the adoption of gender neutral pronouns as ‘nonsense’.

Councillor Ann Stribley, of the Parkstone ward, said: ‘I’m all for equal opportunities for women and against discrimination – I started as a teacher in the late 50s and didn’t get equal pay for five years – but this has all gone a bit too far.

‘We are human beings. Are we going to take ‘man’ out and become ”hubeings”.

‘In my opinion a chair is something made out of metal or wood for someone to sit on.

‘We used to be Mr or Madam Chairman – what is wrong with that?

‘The fact is that we are male or female and changing language is just a pointless exercise.

‘It is nonsense.’ 

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