MURCIA – Vox has come a step closer to their goal with the crusade against inclusivity this week. Murcia´s regional parliament has passed a motion to fine individuals within the regional government for using inclusive language.
The motion came from three expelled Vox members who want to punish officials who “use language that compares it to totalitarian regimes of the 20th century.” These three members of Vox were expelled from the party some time ago but continued on their own. Furthermore, the motion was supported by defecting members of Ciudadanos and the Popular Party.
What is inclusive language?
In inclusive language, you do not use words that endorse stereotypes or create negative expectations. By thinking about word usage and adapting it where possible, you take all groups in your organisation seriously. An example of inclusive language is that travel organisations no longer address their customers with ‘ladies and gentlemen’. So, now, they say ‘dear travelers’. On a completely different note, if you want to reach everyone by text, you must strive for inclusive language use. Therefore, you must not use too difficult words, as if you do, you will exclude low-literate people.
Former Vox members demand ban and fines for inclusive language
Vox’s original proposal calls on the Board of Directors to “use as many legislative sanctions as necessary to ensure the knowledge and correct use of the Spanish language in accordance with the current grammatical rules by public authorities in Murcia”. The PP nuances this proposal somewhat by stating that the motion only requests ‘correct use of language’.
Ban including language use of ‘utter nonsense’
Podemos is one of the parties that finds this motion ‘utter nonsense’ and believes that it has very little to do with the problems of the inhabitants of Murcia and a lot with cultural disputes from the extreme right. The leader of Podemos Murcia refers to various UN strategies for the use of inclusive language. Podemos, therefore, wonders whether the UN and the world are too progressive or whether the PP and Vox are guilty of too conservative a view.
