The adult education center in Würmtal (VHS) has received mail. The sender is Horst Prießnitz from Stockdorf. He accuses the municipal training center in the communities of Planegg, Gräfelfing, Neuried, Krailling and Gauting of “one-sided language politicization” in communication. Prießnitz is bothered by the fact that “gendering occurs in numerous places” and the use of the gender star.
Würmtal
- The word “gender” comes from English and means gender. What is meant is not biological gender, but rather social gender. In German, the generic masculine is usually used, i.e. the participant, the customer and the lecturer, although a feminine word form also exists. Discussions about more gender-equitable language have been going on for decades. In December 2018, the German Bundestag decided to introduce “diverse” as a third option for everyone who considers themselves to be neither male nor female. Anyone who is diverse will not find themselves in the “participant” or the “participant”. One way to include diverse people in the language is the gender star. On the website of the adult education center in Würmtal, “course leaders are looking for”, and in the current VHS program there is talk of a colorful evening “with our language lecturers”.
The gender star as well as the underscore and colon, i.e. lecturer, are not covered by the official regulations. The Council for German Spelling, the authoritative body for German spelling, last December did not recommend the gender star, underscore and colon for inclusion in the official German spelling rules. “The German Spelling Council will monitor further developments in writing, as gender-equitable spelling is still in flux due to social change and writing development,” says a press release.
Horst Prießnitz now directed his complaint to the three male members of the core board: chairman Klaus Tonte, second chairman Rainer Pippig and treasurer Franz Jaquet. Secretary Bärbel Zeller and the three assessors – two female, one male – were not addressed. Prießnitz describes himself as a “proponent of politically neutral language, a member of the German Language Association and a member of the advisory board of the German Language Foundation”. He writes that the “use of gender language” is “clearly attributable to left-wing and green politics” and “significantly contributes to a division in our society.” He further speaks of “abuse” of the VHS facility and demands that the board “practice neutrality”.
Klaus Tonte, the chairman of the Volkshochschule im Würmtal association, announced in response to Merkur's request that Prießnitz would respond "personally on behalf of the entire seven-member board". With an average of 5,500 to 6,000 course participants per semester, his letter is the first feedback on the use of the gender star. There was no explicit decision to use it. Tonte writes: “The vhs im Würmtal eV stands for an open society in terms of content and language. Everyone involved has the right and freedom to use 'gender-appropriate' language if they think it is important or right, or to forego it." And further: "We are not changing this basic attitude."