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<div class="gmail-l-row"> <section id="gmail-title-content-area" class="gmail-title-content--story gmail-l-col-1 gmail-l-col-sm-8 gmail-l-col-md-8 gmail-l-col-lg-8 gmail-l-offset-lg-2"> <div class="gmail-l-row"> <div class="gmail-pb-container"> <div class="gmail-u-wrapper gmail-pb-feature gmail-pb-layout-item gmail-pb-f-article-label-headline" id="gmail-f0021jjkfm4uMq"> <header class="gmail-o-primary-header"> <h1 id="gmail-skip-link-target" tabindex="-1" class="gmail-c-primary-title gmail-c-primary-title--news">Duclos on defensive as opposition mocks gender-neutral language policy</h1> </header> </div> </div> </div> </section> </div> <div class="gmail-l-row"> <section id="gmail-main-content-area" class="gmail-main-content--story gmail-l-col-1 gmail-l-col-sm-8 gmail-l-col-md-8 gmail-l-col-lg-8 gmail-l-offset-lg-2"> <div class="gmail-l-row"> <div class="gmail-pb-container"> <article class="gmail-c-article gmail-c-article--none"> <div class="gmail-u-wrapper gmail-pb-feature gmail-pb-layout-item gmail-pb-f-article-photo" id="gmail-fYLFuR1kfm4uMq"> </div> <div class="gmail-u-wrapper gmail-pb-feature gmail-pb-layout-item gmail-pb-f-article-meta" id="gmail-f5Ug432kfm4uMq"> <div class="gmail-c-article-meta"> <div class="gmail-c-article-meta__bylines"> <span class="gmail-c-byline">Morgan Lowrie</span></div> <div class="gmail-c-article-meta__placelines"> <span class="gmail-c-placeline">Montreal</span> </div> <div class="gmail-c-article-meta__creditlines"> <span class="gmail-c-creditline"> The Canadian Press </span> </div> <div class="gmail-c-article-meta__timestamps"> <time class="gmail-c-timestamp" datetime="2018-03-21T22:23:14.409Z">Published March 21, 2018</time> <time class="gmail-c-timestamp gmail-js-story-moment" datetime="2018-03-21T22:23:14.167Z">Updated 16 hours ago</time> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gmail-u-wrapper gmail-pb-feature gmail-pb-layout-item gmail-pb-f-article-content" id="gmail-f04kpIfkfm4uMq"> <div class="gmail-c-article-body gmail-js-c-article-body gmail-u-clearfix"> <figure class="gmail-c-inline-img"> <div class="gmail-c-inline-img__wrapper" style="padding-bottom:77.3846%"> <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/resizer/elIHR_jzyfXfYlF9zySFBU5EWQA=/620x0/filters:quality(80)/arc-anglerfish-tgam-prod-tgam.s3.amazonaws.com/public/O2ZJPZYXP5ASLPFPB33M6NHOWU.jpg}" class="gmail-js-modal-dialog-trigger" id="gmail-c-image-0"> <span class="gmail-u-visually-hidden">Open this photo in gallery</span> <img class="gmail-js-lazyimage--autosizes gmail-js-lazyimage--loaded" src="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/resizer/elIHR_jzyfXfYlF9zySFBU5EWQA=/620x0/filters:quality(80)/arc-anglerfish-tgam-prod-tgam.s3.amazonaws.com/public/O2ZJPZYXP5ASLPFPB33M6NHOWU.jpg" alt=""> </a> </div> <figcaption class="gmail-c-article-media__info gmail-c-article-media__info--article"> <div class="gmail-c-article-media__description"> <p class="gmail-c-article-media__caption">Jean-Yves Duclos rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Feb. 7, 2018.</p> </div> </figcaption> </figure> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">Canadian
activists praised Service Canada’s decision to ask its employees to
adopt gender-neutral language when interacting with the public as a step
toward greater inclusivity, while members of the political opposition
mocked the policy mercilessly.</p> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">Families
Minister Jean-Yves Duclos defended the federal institution’s internal
directive Wednesday, saying it was a matter of respect and an effort “to
adapt to the reality of 21st-century families.”</p> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">According
to the directive issued to managers and team leaders in January,
Service Canada employees are asked to use gender-neutral or
gender-inclusive language to avoid “portraying a perceived bias toward a
particular sex or gender.”</p> <div class="gmail-u-wrapper gmail-pb-feature gmail-pb-layout-item gmail-pb-f-commercial-dfp-ads" id="gmail-"> <div class="gmail-"> </div> </div> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">Workers
are instructed to use a client’s full name or ask how they would prefer
to be addressed instead of using honorifics such as Mr., Mrs. or Ms.,
which “can be seen as gender specific by a client,” reads the memo,
which was first obtained by Radio-Canada.</p> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">They are also being asked to eschew the terms “father” and “mother” in favour of “parent.”</p> <div class="gmail-u-wrapper gmail-pb-feature gmail-pb-layout-item gmail-pb-f-article-asf-body-top" id="gmail-"> </div> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">Some
members of the opposition were quick to criticize the directive,
including Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, who described it as
“ridiculous.”</p> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">Rheal Fortin, the former Bloc Quebecois MP who now sits as an Independent, concurred, saying, “it’s bordering on harebrained.”</p> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">“I almost want to say I’m glad they don’t have any bigger problems than that at Service Canada,” he joked.</p> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">But Duclos told reporters that Service Canada’s policies are a matter of respect.</p> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">He specified in a tweet the government department is not eliminating the use of Mr. or Ms.</p> <div class="gmail-u-wrapper gmail-pb-feature gmail-pb-layout-item gmail-pb-f-commercial-dfp-ads" id="gmail-"> <div class="gmail-"> </div> </div> <div id="gmail-js-ad-slimcut-wrapper" class="gmail-c-ad gmail-c-ad--slimcut"> <div class="gmail-c-ad__wrapper"> <p class="gmail-c-ad__message">Story continues below advertisement</p> <div id="gmail-js-ad-slimcut"></div><div id="gmail-fsk_splitbox_3527_onscreen" class="gmail-fsk_splitbox_3527_onscreen gmail-sb-opened"><div id="gmail-fsk_splitbox_3527" class="gmail-fsk_splitbox_3527 gmail-sb-opened" style="height:301px;text-align:center;width:100%;clear:both"></div></div> </div> </div> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">“Let us be clear, ServiceCanada–E will continue to use Mr/Ms when interacting with Canadians,” he wrote on social media.</p> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">“We are only confirming how people want to be addressed as a matter of respect.”</p> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">Two prominent activists praised the initiative, describing it as a positive step toward inclusivity.</p> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">Helen
Kennedy, executive director of national LGBTQ human rights organization
Egale Canada, praised the directive as “a good first step” but said it
needs to be accompanied with more awareness training and education
around non-binary and gender-neutral language.</p> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">“Some
people may be very well-intentioned but they may not have the
understanding or knowledge that they need in order to ask the right
question in a manner that’s not going to be offensive,” she said in a
phone interview.</p> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">The backlash from the opposition is a sign of how far Canadian society still has to come when it comes to inclusion, she said.</p> <div class="gmail-u-wrapper gmail-pb-feature gmail-pb-layout-item gmail-pb-f-commercial-dfp-ads" id="gmail-"> <div class="gmail-"> </div> </div> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">“Issues
around gender-neutral language are extremely important, and they may
not be important to the opposition but I can tell you they’re very
important to members of our community,” Kennedy said.</p> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">Gabrielle
Bouchard, the first transgender president of Quebec’s main women’s
federation, called the move a step toward “making sure all Canadians can
start an interaction with civil servants in the right way.”</p> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">In
a phone interview, she said neither she nor the policy were advocating
for an end to the use of gendered pronouns, noting that some transgender
people prefer to use “Mr.” or “Ms.” as a way of reaffirming their
gender.</p> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">“What we want isn’t the elimination of choice, what we want is to add more choice,” she said.</p> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">Duclos’
press secretary, Emilie Gauduchon-Campbell, said the directive was
issued in response to requests from members of the public who criticized
Service Canada for a lack of inclusivity, including same-sex parents
who complained about the mother/father designation.</p> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">She added Duclos did not see the internal directive before it was circulated Jan. 18.</p> <p class="gmail-c-article-body__text">Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau declined to respond Wednesday morning to the
initial Radio-Canada report, saying he needed more time to look into the
matter.</p> <figure class="gmail-c-article-media gmail-c-article-media--video"> <div class="gmail-c-article-media__image gmail-powa gmail-powa-processed" id="gmail-powa-6c379beb-47bf-4a22-ba8e-7da9c135c4c5" style="padding-bottom:56.25%;background:rgb(0,0,0) none repeat scroll 0% 0%;height:0px;overflow:hidden"> <div class="gmail-powa-shot" id="gmail-powa-6c379beb-47bf-4a22-ba8e-7da9c135c4c5-powa-shot"><div class="gmail-c-video--image gmail-powa-shot-image gmail-powa-shot-click gmail-powa-shot-click-play" style="background-image:url("https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/resizer/c8OawEwIImUpfIKU97LNVnGiR7M=/1024x576/filters:quality%2870%29/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-goldfish-tgam-thumbnails/thumbnails/5aa1bcc5e4b088bd2d2973e4/n_Trudeau-Women20180308T1745.jpg")">
<div class="gmail-c-video__button gmail-c-video__button--play">
</div></div></div></div></figure></div></div></article></div></div></section></div><article class="gmail-c-article gmail-c-article--none"><div class="gmail-u-wrapper gmail-pb-feature gmail-pb-layout-item gmail-pb-f-article-content" id="gmail-f04kpIfkfm4uMq"><div class="gmail-c-article-body gmail-js-c-article-body gmail-u-clearfix"><figure class="gmail-c-article-media gmail-c-article-media--video"> <figcaption class="gmail-c-article-media__info"> <div class="gmail-c-article-media__description"> <span class="gmail-c-article-media__caption">Justin
Trudeau helped mark International Women’s Day at a lunch in Toronto on
Thursday. The Prime Minister says gender equality in the workplace is
beneficial for all Canadians.</span> <span class="gmail-c-article-media__credit">The Canadian Press</span> </div> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="gmail-u-wrapper gmail-pb-feature gmail-pb-layout-item gmail-pb-f-article-correction" id="gmail-f0C6J6Ekfm4uMq"> </div> <div class="gmail-u-wrapper gmail-pb-feature gmail-pb-layout-item gmail-pb-f-article-asf-body-bottom" id="gmail-fPWi132kfm4uMq"> </div> <div class="gmail-u-wrapper gmail-pb-feature gmail-pb-layout-item gmail-pb-f-article-disclaimer" id="gmail-f0bwRoskfm4uMq"> </div> <div class="gmail-u-wrapper gmail-pb-feature gmail-pb-layout-item gmail-pb-f-article-follow-on-twitter" id="gmail-feZDbI1kfm4uMq"> </div> <div class="gmail-u-wrapper gmail-pb-feature gmail-pb-layout-item gmail-pb-f-article-actions" id="gmail-f0gQhjzkfm4uMq"> <div class="gmail-c-article-actions"> <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-an-error/" class="gmail-c-article-action"> <span class="gmail-c-indicator-icon"> </span> <span class="gmail-c-article-action__text">Report an error</span> </a> </div> </div> </article> <div class="gmail-u-wrapper gmail-u-space-mtm gmail-u-space-mbn gmail-pb-feature gmail-pb-layout-item gmail-pb-f-financial-barchart-story-tickers" id="gmail-f9FWY71kfm4uMq"> </div> <div class="gmail-u-wrapper gmail-pb-feature gmail-pb-layout-item gmail-pb-f-related-adv" id="gmail-f6uhdx1lfm4uMq"> </div> <div class="gmail-article-related-content-chain gmail-pb-layout-item gmail-pb-chain gmail-pb-c-article-related-content" id="gmail-c27mj41lfm4uMq"> <div class="gmail-u-wrapper gmail-u-space-mtn gmail-u-space-mbs gmail-pb-feature gmail-pb-layout-item gmail-pb-f-generic-text" id="gmail-f0txYEzlfm4uMq"> <div class="gmail-gtext"> <div class="gmail-gtext-body"> <div class="gmail-comments_disabled"> <div class="gmail-comments_disabled__text"> As of December 20, 2017, we have <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/community/digital-lab/temporary-comments-disruption/article37363238/">temporarily removed commenting from our articles</a>
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<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div>
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