What do I really mean when I speak about French inclusive language?
Inclusive language in French is the same as in English:
✅ Respect people
✅ Don’t be dismissive or harmful
✅ Make everyone visible
However, French presents unique challenges due to its grammatical structures, particularly the use of the masculine gender as the « neutral » gender:
😡 Women and gender minorities are invisibilized, which makes them feel excluded.
😡 When we read masculine forms, even though they SHOULD be read as neutral, our brains tend to picture men. This reinforces a system where men remain the norm.
What solutions do we have, then?
✅ We can invisibilize everybody by using gender neutral phrasing.
❌ However, studies show that because society is so used to men being the norm, « neutral » formulations are still interpreted as masculine by our brains.
✅ We can visibilize women, and always use both masculine and feminine forms, that is the kind of gender-inclusive language that is normalizing.
❌ However, as neutral grammatical gender doesn’t exist in French, it means non-binary people are still not included most of the time.
✅ We can use new words to refer to non-binary people.
❌ However, these terms are unfamiliar to most and might not be widely understood, especially outside LGBTQIA+ communities.
Okay, but if all these options have downsides, what do we do ?
💡Adapt your methods to your audience: consider factors like age, political leanings, cultural background, and accessibility needs.
💡Align with your editorial line: what level of political or social visibility suits your brand or mission?
💡Collaborate with professionals: experts in inclusive communication can analyze your needs and adapt your French messaging to truly reflect your values and intentions.
If you would like to have the point of view of a professional on your communication and how it can be more inclusive in French, don’t hesitate to send me a message or to book a free consultation with me (you can find the link to my calendly on my LinkedIn profile) 😊