Gender-Inclusive Language

The Rectorate, following a proposal by the Senate Gender Equality Commission and the University Gender Equality Officer, has adopted a guide for the use of gender-inclusive language at the University of Tübingen. The guide aims to provide members of the university with a clear recommendation for gender-inclusive wording in written texts.

Guide for the Unse of Gender-Inclusive Language at the University of Tübingen (German)

Given its purpose, the guide is deliberately brief and does not include extensive examples. However, such examples are widely available online under terms like "gender-inclusive language" or “gender-sensitive language.”

In the past, there have been legal disputes at German universities between students and instructors regarding possible disadvantages in examinations due to the (lack of) use of gender-inclusive language. In 2022, the Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts of Baden-Württemberg issued the following statement: "The universities regulate examination procedures and requirements themselves in accordance with § 32 paragraphs 3 and 4 of the State Higher Education Act (LHG). The LHG contains no provisions regarding the use of gender-inclusive language in examinations." [1] This means that the use or non-use of gender-inclusive language must not affect grading.

[1] see Letter of the Ministry for Science, Research and Art (German)

On many occasions, people are asked about their gender — for example, when registering for an event, as part of an evaluation, or when signing up for online services. We encourage you to always consider whether asking for a person’s gender is relevant to the specific purpose, and if it is not, to refrain from doing so. When registering for a course, a person’s gender is irrelevant. If you wish to address your students personally, ask everyone for their personal pronouns or address them neutrally using their first and last names (e.g., "Good day, First name Last name").

Additional help with gender-inclusive language in German may be found on the internet, such as at geschicktgendern.de.

Unlike the German language, in English it is usual to express equal treatment through equal designation. Although many professional titles are historically male-associated, they are grammatically neutral, such as "prime minister," meaning this form is also used for non-male individuals and is considered gender-neutral.

Groups of people are also referred to in a gender-neutral way.

In English, there are only gender-specific pronouns in the singular, meaning there is no singular pronoun that refers to all genders. Therefore, the plural pronouns "they/their/them" are also used for singular individuals.