As of: March 27, 2024, 8:00 a.m
By: Lajos Fischer
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Around 30 people campaigned for inclusive language on the town hall square in Kempten.
© Fischer
The Bavarian state government recently passed the “gender ban”.
What opinion do the people in Kempten have about this?
Kempten - One day after the Bavarian state government decided to ban gender-inclusive spellings using special characters in authorities, schools and universities, the group "Access Allgäu Area" called for an emergency meeting "for an inclusive language" at Rathausplatz.
This decision violates the ban on discrimination and destroys the educational work with queer children and young people, said one participant.
For many people, the small gender symbol means that they belong.
1.7 percent of the world's population is intersex, there are about the same number of redheads, it said in another speech.
Public institutions should be role models for inclusion and not encourage further exclusion.
And exclusion cannot be the educational goal in Bavaria, a teacher added.
“There is nothing wrong with our linguistic example of tolerance instead of ignorance,” was quoted from the poem “Mitgemeint” by Sonja Mahr.
Gender ban in Kempten local politics?
When the AfD applied for a gender ban last year, Mayor Thomas Kiechle advocated not introducing any binding regulations on this issue.
“It stays that way,” he confirms in an interview with our newspaper.
The current regulation applies to state authorities.
“We are a local self-government.
I see no reason to devote myself to the instructions.” The use of the male and female forms is a necessity, says Kiechle.
“I can understand that some people go further.” Covering all genders.
has meaning for some people, which is why the exemption remains.
But the texts must remain legible.
“We have many issues that are much more pressing,” he adds.
It is important to treat each other with respect and not to hurt anyone with the language.
The Bavarian state government's decree is a step backwards
Katharina Simon and Yvonne Heckl from the Equal Opportunities Office are irritated by the Prime Minister's gender ban because the ministry is currently putting a lot of money and commitment into the "Queer Action Plan", which is a significant part of the Bavarian agenda for diversity and against exclusion announced in the coalition agreement and a clear one It should be a signal to LGBTIQ people and the entire Bavarian society for tolerance and anti-discrimination.
“Where is this more visible than in language?” the two ask.
At least they think it is important that the male and female forms are consistently used, as provided for in the Civil Service Guide.
They noted that this is unfortunately not being implemented by many public figures - even with the current statements about the gender ban.
“For us and the entire city society, the decree represents a step backwards in dealing with diversity.”
The use of special characters can lead to difficulties for people with disabilities and those in need of support, emphasizes Stephan Prause, representative for people with disabilities in the city council.
Every additional character also represents a hurdle for dyslexics and blind people. His appeal is therefore to avoid gendering and use formulated personal names.
Promote gender awareness in school
School councilor Tobias Schiele says he would have liked the shortened multi-gender spelling not to be banned, but to be standardized.
The regulation only applies to the written form and legal consequences only apply to official correspondence.
The writer's conscious gender-neutral attitude is more important to him than the type of writing itself.
Promoting gender awareness in schools remains an important task.
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It only confirmed something that already existed, says Markus Wenninger, headmaster of the Hildegardis-Gymnasium.
Nevertheless, there was a bit of excitement among the staff after the announcement.
Clear regulations are easier to use in everyday school life.
It still applies that formulations with gender symbols are underlined in school work, but are not considered errors.
For young people whose gender is not clear or is changing, the school shows great tolerance and offers support.
The desire for a gender-neutral formulation was never expressed.
“Correct gender” as an elective subject in Kempten schools?
There is not enough education about the topic at school, says Lukas Düll, a student at Allgäu-Gymnasium and member of the youth commission.
This was only discussed in a science seminar in history.
Most of the school supported the use of gender forms or did not interfere.
The freedom to decide for oneself is just as much a part of our liberal democracy as the inclusion of LGBTIQ+ people.
That's why the big gender flag was hung at the school.
“There is also a trans woman in my class,” says Düll.
He uses gender forms in his essays, but has difficulties with the articles, for example.
That's why he suggests offering “gendering correctly” as an elective.
What bothers him most about the current discussion is the polarization that people are either completely against or completely for, instead of getting everyone on board through a dialogue.
At Kempten University everything will probably remain the same
He hasn't received an official letter from the Ministry of Science yet, but he assumes that almost everything will remain as it is now, says university president Professor Wolfgang Hauke.
In official documents such as examination regulations or certificates, a neutral form or the female and male forms are used.
The same recommendation applies to all other cases and is not mandatory.
This regulation worked and ensured peace for a long time.
He doesn't yet know whether the definition of official documents will be expanded to include the website, for example.
Both students and professors will be able to continue to use the form they want in their academic work and publications in the future.
He vehemently opposes the use of imprecise terms such as “gender” because they are linked to political attitudes, emphasizes Professor Peter Nick, who taught at the university for a long time and was involved in the Gender & Diversity working group in the Lake Constance Four-Country Region Science Association.
He is talking about gender-sensitive and gender-appropriate language use.
“Language cannot be prescribed,” he emphasizes.
Language can be used to put people in boxes.
It is scientifically well proven that insensitive use of language is a form of injustice.
But it can also be used to avoid unfair structures and further develop attitudes.
Paying attention to differentiated use of language and allowing plurality and diversity in language use are now part of the standards at universities.
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