If Nancy Pelosi has her way in the upcoming 117th Congress, pronouns may have seen their day.
The House Speaker is aiming to make the U.S. House more inclusive which involves the use of gender-neutral terms. On the chopping block are words like “He, she, father and mother.”
A new Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth will “address issues of inequities on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, or national origin.”
The House resolution has made clear which designations and pronouns are no longer welcome. For example, the naval term “seamen” will be replaced by “seafarers.” Also, “chairman” simply becomes “chair” under the new directive. Others include familial designations such as “son, daughter, brother, and sister” being replaced with “child” and “sibling” respectively.
Pelosi and Rules Committee chairman James P. McGovern agree these measures will make the House of Representatives “the most inclusive in history.”