German ministers crack down on 'gender neutral' language in universities

Israel threatens AIRSTRIKES on Iran as Biden is accused of 'sleepwalking the US into another catastrophic war' and Trump slams 'incompetent' president for failing to address the nation
'I'll shoot the other leg!' 81-year-old Ohio man shoots dead female Uber driver - after scammers told her to pick up parcel at his home and warned him that she was a thief in twisted set up
Louisiana author reveals he still sees his dad, despite father's 2022 conviction for cold case murder of his mom that saw her stabbed between her legs with an umbrella
'I had no plan to die:' Salman Rushdie reveals he dreamed he was a gladiator being stabbed just TWO DAYS before he was knifed at New York event
Syracuse police officer and sheriff's deputy are shot dead in upstate NY after responding to 911 call about stolen car: Suspect is killed
Infuriating moment stranger blocks a driver from taking a parking spot - and you won't believe his reason: 'You can't do this'
How to eat to beat the menopause (and shed those midlife pounds): These are the surprising reasons chocolate will stop your snacking, fibre is like natural Ozempic and cottage cheese will keep you calm
Cashing in: OJ Simpson's infamous white Bronco used during car chase is set to go on market as owners look to fetch $1.5M just days after his death
South American gangs armed with knives are running wild on Los Angeles highways targeting terrified jewelers in brazen daytime robberies - slashing tires, shattering windows and even planting trackers on their cars
Mikal Bridges extends his incredible NBA iron man streak and now hasn't missed a game for SIX SEASONS... but how far off is he from the record?
Celebrity hair stylist is beaten to a pulp outside a West Hollywood gay nightclub as his family says he was the victim of hate crime
Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed branded jurors 'a**holes' and 'idiots' in unrepentant jailhouse calls after manslaughter conviction, prosecutors tell judge ahead of sentencing TODAY
I'm a cruise ship worker... here are nine things NOT to do at the buffet
Sean 'Diddy' Combs seen with son Justin, 30, for the FIRST time since he was handcuffed and detained during raid on rapper father's home amid sex trafficking investigation
Two bodies are found in hunt for Kansas moms who disappeared two weeks ago - as cops arrest four suspects on murder and kidnapping charges after 'pools of blood' were found next to empty car
No mother should have to read their child's suicide note. Here's what it feels like to parent a child who wants to kill themselves
How a group of taxi drivers went in search of their missing friend in Nigeria... and discovered 'house of horror' where kidnapped victims were sacrificed and their body parts sold for black magic rituals
The story of sex, lies, models and 'hush-money' payments over 18 YEARS that turned the Trump and Stormy Daniels scandal into one of history's biggest trials: Every salacious detail of how a 2006 golf course meeting sparked the blockbuster Manhattan case
Donald Trump lashes out at 'crooked Biden's henchmen' on the eve of his hush money trial in NYC as he accuses DA Alvin Bragg of 'rigging the election'
Is it impossible for Trump to get an impartial jury? How lawyers face the monumental task of picking 12 New York residents from candidates who could LIE to get on Stormy Daniels case where the chance of prejudice is 'substantial'
A vision in white! Ivanka Trump beams on day out with Jared and children in sunny Miami - as Donald prepares for hush money trial in NYC
Melania tip toes back into the spotlight: Enigmatic former first lady is 'easing into the Trump campaign' after her absence fueled rumors their marriage was on the rocks... but don't mention Stormy Daniels!
Could Trump go to jail? How long will the trial last? What could the ex-president's team use in his defense? DailyMail.com answers ALL your questions about the historic Stormy Daniels hush money trial
Biden privately fears 'catastrophic escalation' as Israel draws up plans to attack Iran after 350-missile assault

Bavarian Minister Markus Söder ordered a review of 'gender neutral' guidelines
Universites released language guide how to avoid use of male and female nouns
Male forms of word traditionally used in German to address groups in general

Published: 08:45 EDT, 17 September 2021 | Updated: 08:57 EDT, 17 September 2021

e-mail

German ministers have cracked down on 'gender neutral' language in universities as a culture war rages against the use of male and female nouns.

Last month, nine German universites including Konstanz and Stuttgart released common guidelines which gave advice to staff and students on how to avoid the use of masculine and feminine forms of nouns.

However, Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder, 54, has slammed the new gender neutral language regulations at universities as 'indoctrination'.

He has also ordered a review into the contents of the guides saying that language cannot be 'prescribed' and that students who do not use the new terminology should not be marked down.

German Minister Markus Söder, 54, (pictured) has slammed the new 'gender neutral' language guidelines published by universities as 'indoctrination'

The special language guides warned against the use of male forms of words to refer to groups of men and women - which has been traditionally used in German to address groups in general.

Speaking to local newspaper, Augsburger Allgemeine, Mr Söder, who is also the leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU) party, said that it would be intolerable if academics were to mark down students who failed to use the new gender conventions.

He slammed the newly published advice by universities as 'indoctrination', and warned that the terminology could lead to referring to a mother and father as 'parent one and parent two'.

'It's not on,' he said. 'Bavaria is a free state, not an indoctrination state. Anyone may use language however they want but everyone should make sure to show sensitivity and respect in their language.'

He continued: 'At the end of the day, it's not on for language to be prescribed. We can't end up with a kind of gender law or gender violation notices.

'You should be able to go on saying' mother and father. You don't have to say parent one and parent two. I don't want to be addressed by my children as parent.'

He has also ordered a review into the contents of the guides adopted by nine German universities last month, saying that language cannot be 'prescribed' and that students who do not use the new terminology should not be marked down. Pictured: University of Stuttgart

German, like many other languages, has masculine and feminine forms for thousands of words but in recent years, many left-wing institutions and public bodies have begun to adopt hybrid terms in order to be 'gender-neutral'.

For example, according to The Times, voters can be referred to as either Wähler (male voters) or Wählerinnen (female voters), with the masculine, Wähler, normally used to refer to voters in general.

However, a new hybrid term, Wählende (voting persons), has been coined to address voters in general, to avoid using the male form.

The policy shift in language use has been criticised by conservative groups as an ideologically driven imposition, with the German Language Society issuing a 'call to resistance' against the 'ridiculous language structures' and 'gender nonsense'.

At the CSU party conference that took place in Nuremberg last weekend, 96 per cent of members voted in favour of a motion condemning 'politically indoctrinating, artificial excesses of gender-moralising language acrobatics' in public bodies and educational institutions.