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The gender star (German: Genderstern, or diminutive Gendersternchen; lit. 'gender asterisk') is a nonstandard typographic style used by some authors in gender-neutral language in German. [1] It is formed by placing an asterisk after the stem and appending the feminine plural suffix "-innen". For example, Fahrer ([male] driver, singular & plural) becomes Fahrer*innen (drivers). The gender star makes it possible to refer to all genders while also including non-binary people. [2]
Alternatives to the gender star include Binnen-I (with medial capital I), the gender gap (where an underscore takes the place of the asterisk) or using inherently gender neutral terms, such as 'people' instead of 'man' or 'woman'. [3] The gender star was named the German Anglicism of the Year in 2018 by the Leibniz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache. [4]
In speech, the gender star is sometimes signaled by a glottal stop. [5] [6]
The use of the gender star can be traced back to 2013. [7] It has been used by the Berlin Senate since 2017, [8] and the German Green Party since 2015. [9] [10]
In 2019, the German Language Association VDS (Verein Deutsche Sprache; not to be confused with the Association for the German Language Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache, GfdS) launched a petition against the use of the gender star, saying it was a "destructive intrusion" into the German language and created "ridiculous linguistic structures". It was signed by over 100 writers and scholars. [11] Luise F. Pusch, a German feminist linguist, criticises the gender star as it still makes women the 'second choice' by the use of the feminine suffix. [12] In 2020, the Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache declared Gendersternchen to be one of the 10 German Words of the Year. [13]
In 2023, the state of Saxony banned the use of gender stars and gender gaps in schools and education, which marks students' use of the gender stars as incorrect. [14] [15] In March 2024, Bavaria banned gender-neutral language in schools, universities and several other public authorities. [16] [17] In April 2024, Hesse banned the use of gender neutral language, including gender stars, in administrative language. [18]
![]() | You can help expand this article with text translated from
the corresponding article in German. (April 2020) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
Part of a series on |
Linguistics |
---|
![]() |
The gender star (German: Genderstern, or diminutive Gendersternchen; lit. 'gender asterisk') is a nonstandard typographic style used by some authors in gender-neutral language in German. [1] It is formed by placing an asterisk after the stem and appending the feminine plural suffix "-innen". For example, Fahrer ([male] driver, singular & plural) becomes Fahrer*innen (drivers). The gender star makes it possible to refer to all genders while also including non-binary people. [2]
Alternatives to the gender star include Binnen-I (with medial capital I), the gender gap (where an underscore takes the place of the asterisk) or using inherently gender neutral terms, such as 'people' instead of 'man' or 'woman'. [3] The gender star was named the German Anglicism of the Year in 2018 by the Leibniz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache. [4]
In speech, the gender star is sometimes signaled by a glottal stop. [5] [6]
The use of the gender star can be traced back to 2013. [7] It has been used by the Berlin Senate since 2017, [8] and the German Green Party since 2015. [9] [10]
In 2019, the German Language Association VDS (Verein Deutsche Sprache; not to be confused with the Association for the German Language Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache, GfdS) launched a petition against the use of the gender star, saying it was a "destructive intrusion" into the German language and created "ridiculous linguistic structures". It was signed by over 100 writers and scholars. [11] Luise F. Pusch, a German feminist linguist, criticises the gender star as it still makes women the 'second choice' by the use of the feminine suffix. [12] In 2020, the Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache declared Gendersternchen to be one of the 10 German Words of the Year. [13]
In 2023, the state of Saxony banned the use of gender stars and gender gaps in schools and education, which marks students' use of the gender stars as incorrect. [14] [15] In March 2024, Bavaria banned gender-neutral language in schools, universities and several other public authorities. [16] [17] In April 2024, Hesse banned the use of gender neutral language, including gender stars, in administrative language. [18]