'Wokery gone mad!' University staff urged not to say 'mother' and 'father' to avoid bias
A UNIVERSITY has been attacked for "wokery gone mad" after it advised staff against using the terms "mother" and "father" to avoid bias and assumption.
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The University of Manchester's equality, diversity and inclusion team made the recommendations following feedback from staff. It later issued guidance on inclusive language and encouraged the use of gender-neutral terms such as "partner" or "guardian" instead of “mother” or “father”.
Jonathan Gullis, Conservative MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke, described the guidance as "wokery gone mad".
And Toby Young, general secretary of the Free Speech Union, said: "If I was a student at Manchester University I'm not sure I would regard this as a good use of my £9,250 a year.
"Instead of focusing on educational standards, or supporting those students who've been short-changed during the pandemic, Manchester has wasted time and money on producing a guide to how to speak woke-ish.
"Young people hate it when you call them snowflakes, but Manchester has done its students no favours by suggesting they might be offended by words like 'mother' and 'father'."
The university has denied scrapping or banning any words.
The guidance, which was circulated to staff earlier this week, recommends using gender-neutral terms, rather than those that make sex distinction.
These include terms such as:
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“You or they/their/them, not he/she or him/her
People/person or individual(s), rather than man/men or woman/women
Everyone/colleagues, rather than ladies and gentlemen/guys
Parent or guardian, rather than mother or father
Partner, rather than husband or wife
Sibling, rather than brother or sister
Artificial or synthetic, rather than man-made
Humankind, not mankind
Workforce, not manpower
We provide cover or staff, rather than to 'man'
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The guidance has been criticised on social media with some labelling the advice as "language policing".
Others defended the move, stating that schools and universities have used terms like "parent or guardian" instead of "mother and father" for decades.
A University of Manchester spokesperson said it had "simply produced a guidance document for our staff that encourages the use of more inclusive language to avoid bias or assumptions".
"In that, we recommend the use of the term 'parent/guardian'," they added.
"This is well-established terminology and does not in any way mean that we are banning the words 'mother' or 'father'."
The latest march of the PC brigade emerged shortly after Toy Story’s Mr Potato Head had a gender-neutral makeover.
The classic toy's branding is being "reimagined for the modern consumer", its US maker Hasbro announced last month.
From later this year, the toy - launched almost 70 years ago - will be named Potato Head on packaging.
Other toy companies have taken similar decisions in recent years, breaking with traditional gender norms.
"Hasbro is making sure all feel welcome in the Potato Head world by officially dropping the Mr from the Mr Potato Head brand name and logo to promote gender equality and inclusion," Hasbro said of the name change.
The rebranded toy, which can be assembled with a selection of different body parts and clothes, will be released in autumn this year, Hasbro said.