For those in marketing, communications, or media, writing in a clear and concise manner is a crucial skill. For any business professional, the way you communicate with others says a lot about who you are. With that in mind, we could all use a review of the best ways to phrase certain elements of our lives, inside or outside of work, in order to be more thoughtful and inclusive – particularly when it comes to identity.
We’ve collected a few resources that contain guidance for inclusive language in writing. Many words or phrases that were commonly used over the years have either evolved significantly or been phased out. It’s time for a new wave.
Failing to improve the words and phrasing we use could lead to further alienation of groups that have experienced discrimination and inequities for decades or more.
In case you thought this only applies to a small group of people, the numbers tell a different story. More than 40% of the US population identifies as people of color, and Boldist points out that 26% of the population has a disability, 20% of the population experiences mental heallth issues, and 5% of the population identifies as LGBT+.
For most tenured writers, “making simple, thoughtful adjustments, you can ensure that your content will be accessible to people from varying backgrounds and cultures,” according to the University of Idaho’s guidance. The American Psychological Association has an extensive glossary of terminology as well as a lengthy listing of terms to avoid. Seattle University lists a library of additional resources.
With so much information out there, it can get real confusing real fast. Here’s a guide as a starting point.
Descriptive words about a person when naming them should only be used when absolutely necessary to the context of the story or writing.
Overall
- Avoid terms like “minorities” or “underrepresented”, instead considering “members of historically excluded communities” or “part of the global majority”, as the former terms refer directly to groups whose representation is disproportionately low compared to their proportion of the general population without recognizing the historical discrimination or systemic barriers that have prevented them from accessing resources or opportunities. “Historically excluded” specifically refers to those who have been excluded due to their identity and may include (but is not limited to) Black, Indigenous, people of color or those from the LGBTQ+ community, for example. “Underrepresented” may also imply that the onus is on those who are marginalized to “beat the odds” in spite of systemic barriers that may prevent them from being able to do so.
Race or ethnicity
- If a person’s race, ethnicity, or country of origin must be stated, be as specific and direct as possible and do not use it as an adjective to describe the person.
- Be as specific as possible. For example, from University of Idaho: “Rather than ‘She is Native American,’ one might state ‘She is a member of the Indigenous Nez Perce Tribe.’
- “Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC)” is considered more inclusive than previous norms to reference to this group collectively. It is intended to highlight unique experiences that Black and Indigenous people have encountered, which shape the experiences of and relationship to power for other people of color within the US. This should be used when describing the group collectively rather than an individual.
- Capitalize “Black” when describing African Americans or those who self-describe as Black, as a way to signify a shared identity and culture.
- “Latine” may be used to refer to people of color with Latin American or Spanish-speaking origins. It has been used by LGBTQIA+, gender non-binary, and feminist communities with the intention to be a more gender-inclusive term than Latino/Latina and more native to pronounce than Latinx.
- Avoid using cultural terminology to describe life or work situations.
- Boldist shares that recently AP Style removed the hyphen from dual-heritage terms like African American “because it provoked a feeling of inequality or incomplete citizenship.”
Gender
- Avoid phrases like “men and women” or “boys and girls” when referring to a group of people, as that does not necessarily describe all of the people in a given population. It’s preferred to use descriptive terms for the entire group such as “all of the people” or “the students,” which is a clearer use of language as well.
- “They/their/them” is a broadly accepted gender-neutral pronoun, but when incorporating mentions of people in your writing, ensure you have confirmed their individual pronouns, as there may be additional pronoun groupings, particularly those with from a gender non-binary.
Sexual Orientation
- LGBTQ+ is an acceptable way to describe the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer community, but LGBTQIA+ is generally understood to be more inclusive. Follow GLAAD’s media guidelines for updates.
Ability
- Only refer to a person’s ability if it is relevant in context. The University of Idaho notes that some people prefer to be introduced with ability-related identifies. It’s always best to ask people what they use.
Experiences
- Avoid the term “victim” or “survivor”, according to the APA.
- Avoid terms with a negative connotation for those who are advanced in age.
- Terms like “addict” “slave” “prisoner” “homeless” and “felon” are reductive and dehumanize, as people are not defined by these terms. The APA suggests leading with the person’s name and then describing them as “a person experiencing X”, only if necessary.
- Avoid language that invokes violence, including the phrase “he’s killing it!” and related terms or phrasing.
It’s understandable that you may have used certain terms or phrases in the past that don’t reflect the experiences or needs of your coworkers, family, or friends in an inclusive way. Although this may not have been with any ill intent, the purpose of this approach is not to cast blame. The goal is to understand where others are coming from and to identify opportunities to improve our usage of language so that we can be as welcoming to others as possible in the future.
Our world is evolving, as we ourselves are. Shouldn’t our language evolve as well?
