Inès Hinojo-Moulin

Aujourd’hui, parlons X. Si vous suivez un peu ce qu’al se passe aux États-Unis, vous avez peut-être vu passer le terme « latinx ». C’est un mot qui est rentré peu à peu dans la culture des États-Unis pour parler des communautés d’origine latinoaméricaine sans les genrer. Deux choses intéressantes à observer par rapport à cette utilisation du « x » : 💡 Il n’est que peu utilisé en Espagne, parce qu’il est difficile à prononcer (comme le « @ » utilisé avant lui), donc les gens privilégient le « e » 💡 Mais en même temps il est intéressant car il est une preuve graphique de la politisation du refus du genre. On barre littéralement le genre du…

When I was stuck in bed with Covid, some interesting news came out about inclusive language in France. The Conseil d’État (France’s highest administrative court) made two important points: – Inclusive language is part of the French language. – Inclusive language is not, in itself, a political stance. Let that sink in for a moment. What does it actually mean? – People do understand inclusive French. – Using inclusive language does not automatically make you “woke.” – It’s a linguistic practice, not a partisan statement. For brands and organisations, this matters. Because inclusive language isn’t just a social debate, it’s also a communication strategy. Here’s why it can be good…

I received one of Chris’ newsletter where he wrote “They can’t argue over facts so they argue over words.” Think about it: Was America “discovered” or was it “invaded” in 1492? Is a school shooter “mentally ill” or a “terrorist”? Are these people screaming in the streets “protesters” or “rioters”? Is the military “arresting criminals” or “taking hostages”? Every choice of words paints a different mental picture. Chris asked “Who gets to have power? Who gets to perpetuate power, and how? And… who is supposed to shut up and politely let themselves be subjugated?” This is also part of inclusive language. Who is speaking? And about whom? What words do…

🫢 J’avoue tout, je n’avais pas lu Julie Abbou. J’avoue aussi, j’ai lu son livre dans une piscine… et maintenant non seulement il est tout gribouillé mais en plus il tombe en morceaux (je vous jure que je suis de ces personnes qui font très attention à leurs livres normalement). Maintenant, que c’est dit, passons. Ma phrase préférée : « Face à un conservatisme républicain hostile à la modification de l’ordre de la langue comme de l’ordre du monde, et face à une libéralisation du genre qui investit les signes linguistiques du féminisme pour les vider de leur force émancipatrice, reste peut-être alors au féminisme, comme souvent, à défaire la vérité du…

This post is a little chaotic, but the resources are too good not to share. If you’re interested in inclusive and non-binary language, this is for you. Here are 2 valuable resources that broaden the conversation beyond French: 🌈 This beautifully designed and well-researched guide by Minami Funakoshi and Samuel Granados explores the global movement toward gender-inclusive language, as well as the political and cultural pushbacks it can trigger. It includes examples from Russian, Vietnamese, Hindi, and more, and reminds us that inclusive language is not a “Western” thing (please read about the history of binary gender). https://www.reuters.com/graphics/GENDER-LANGUAGE/LGBT/mopanqoelva/ 🥰 Thank you Emily Bandeira for sending it to me. 🌈 Many…

There is no justice without quality translation. ⚠️ If your audience can’t clearly understand your message (due to translation errors, awkward grammar, or unnatural phrasing) they can’t take meaningful action. ⚠️ If your message sounds off or clumsy, your audience may lose trust in you, making it harder to truly connect or serve them. And in my view, there is no justice without inclusive translation either. ⚠️ If your French uses only traditional, masculine forms, non-binary people won’t feel seen, and may assume they’re not part of your vision. ⚠️ Studies show that job descriptions written in the masculine get 30% fewer women applicants. ⚠️ And if you don’t pay…

At the beginning of June, I was attending a training by Jennifer Willey when she said “you are not the hero of this story, your client is”. And honestly, she’s right. My clients are heroes. They’re individuals and organisations working every day to make the world better: 💪 They secure funding 💪 They design and deliver impactful programs 💪 They create innovative solutions 💪 They train and empower communities 💪 They bring essential resources where they’re needed most 💪 They advocate for systemic change But here’s the thing: most of their work happens in English. And a large part of the people they serve speak French. That means: 💔 If…

Are you careful about the words you use to talk about social justice? No way you use problematic expressions like “third world” or “master bedroom”? You also try to not use “beneficiaries” and “global North/South”? You prefer “underserved communities” over “underprivileged communities”? Then congrats, you already use inclusive language in English. 🥳 That’s it. That’s the post this week. Feel free to share your favourite inclusive expressions though. Maybe we could create a glossary. 👀

Vouloir utiliser le langage inclusif, c’est super, mais attention aux pièges dans lesquels peuvent tomber les débutant·es. 1.     Quand on ne connait pas encore toutes les techniques, on a tendance à choisir une technique et à vouloir l’utiliser partout. Et souvent, on choisit les doublets. Sauf que ça devient vite lourd. Exemple : « On pouvait retrouver parmi elles et eux des voleurs et des voleuses, des arnaqueurs et des arnaqueuses et des pyromanes. Tous et toutes étaient des criminels et des criminelles. » 😵‍💫 Allez, respirez. On peut trouver mieux : « On retrouvait dans ce groupe toutes sortes de spécialistes du crime : vols, arnaques, pyromanie, tout y passait.…

🔎 Here is my take on the 3 most important things to know about translation. 1.     We don’t translate words, we translate meaning It can seem obvious, but it’s really important. It means that a lot of expressions, jokes and sayings have to be adapted to the target culture. Because if I tell you “Oh, it’s raining ropes today!”, you might think I’m trying to sound depressing, when in reality it’s just a literal translation of the expression that means “It’s raining cats and dogs” in English. So if you like to use specific references or play with words in your content, your best bet is to work with a professional…