to express without genres
On a daily basis, Laura Doyle-Péan asks those close to her to avoid gendered words or to alternate between masculine and feminine pronouns - and chords - about her. The way she expresses her non-binary gender identity unsettles many around her. However, more and more people advocate the so-called epicene writing.
Lori Saint-Martin, professor of literary studies at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), remarks. “A lot of my students are already using forms like 'iels' or 'authors' in their master's thesis,” she says. The first few times you see them, you jump, and quickly you get used to them. " Sandrine Bourget-Lapointe, who gives training in epicene writing, describes herself as a queer person preferring the pronoun "iel", while being comfortable with "her". “I know not everyone gets it. That's why it's important to educate people. I like it when people try to type language as little as possible and they don't rely on the lady. "
Reluctantly, Laura Doyle-Péan lets some friends use words they are comfortable with. “It's not ideal to think about the comfort of others at the expense of yourself on this issue. " With a doctorate in semiology, the study of language systems, Lucile Cremier is a trans queer person who prefers neutral formulations, but who accepts the alternation between the "he" and the "she" in exchanges. When his interlocutors are wrong, his reactions vary. "If it's the employee of a bakery that I'll never see again who says to me sir or madam, I don't care because there are no relationship issues. The mistake is less serious than if it involves a friendship or a work relationship. If it's a teacher who sees me every week and I've written to ahead of time to explain, it's more uncomfortable. "
When you are young or at the start of your trans journey, language is one of the first ways to assert yourself, so it's even more difficult if your linguistic uses are discredited.
Lucile Cremier
It was in Secondary V that Laura Doyle-Péan began to identify as non-binary. “I never felt like a woman on the inside. When I asked my cisgender friends what made them feel male or female, they just knew it. A friend once asked me what brings me the most happiness when people talk about me. It helped me find my answer. I found it liberating. "
The masculine wins?
Before the advent of epicene writing, gender-neutral writing had developed over the past decades with a view to the visibility of the feminine. A concept imagined in reaction to the universal masculine which implies that the masculine marks the neutral and that it encompasses men, women and non-binary people.
It was in Secondary V that Laura Doyle-Péan began to identify as non-binary. “I never felt like a woman on the inside. When I asked my cisgender friends what made them feel male or female, they just knew it. A friend once asked me what brings me the most happiness when people talk about me. It helped me find my answer. I found it liberating. "
The masculine wins?
Before the advent of epicene writing, gender-neutral writing had developed over the past decades with a view to the visibility of the feminine. A concept imagined in reaction to the universal masculine which implies that the masculine marks the neutral and that it encompasses men, women and non-binary people.
It is also to say that language serves to consolidate and privilege social privileges granted to men. Lori Saint-Martin, author, translator and teacher A rule far from trivial. "Several sociolinguistic studies show that the idea of the masculine winning over the feminine has effects on the mental representation that people have of the subject," says Lucile Cremier. We think more of men in such a sentence. " Moreover, this rule appeared when the first grammars were written. "Before, this was not the norm," says Sandrine Bourget-Lapointe. There was more flexibility and fluidity in the use of language. " Lori Saint-Martin agrees. “With the creation of the Académie Française, a number of steps were taken to establish the use of the Court. The language was much more variable in French before the 17th century, and that included gender markers and the like as well. For example, the names of professions were commonly feminized. "
For the love of French
The epicene script, already used in certain administrative and legal circles, tends towards the absence of gender marks. One way to make sure that a statement applies to as many people as possible, when it is relevant. Thus, "hello, everyone" will not have the same effect as "hello, ladies and gentlemen", especially in a context where you are addressing a diversity of genres. "You might as well change her words rather than use formulations that lend a gender to the person," explains Lucile Cremier. For example, you can ask a child 'who are your parents' rather than 'who is your mom and dad'. " Critics of non-gendered vocabulary speak of a futile debate, unaesthetic lexical choices or a threat to the French language. Laura Doyle-Péan, however, has the opposite feeling. "It is a sign of love for the French language to want to develop it, explore it or create vocabulary to reflect current realities. " Lucile Cremier believes that some reviews are in bad faith. "The mortal danger is an expression used by the French Academy [to speak of inclusive writing], while it is a body that wants to observe uses, and not prescriber. When judgments are made by people with a lot of visibility or high authority, who have not done real research or who do not consider the facts, I do not feel that a debate is possible. "
A feeling shared by Sandrine Bourget-Lapointe.
For the love of French
The epicene script, already used in certain administrative and legal circles, tends towards the absence of gender marks. One way to make sure that a statement applies to as many people as possible, when it is relevant. Thus, "hello, everyone" will not have the same effect as "hello, ladies and gentlemen", especially in a context where you are addressing a diversity of genres. "You might as well change her words rather than use formulations that lend a gender to the person," explains Lucile Cremier. For example, you can ask a child 'who are your parents' rather than 'who is your mom and dad'. " Critics of non-gendered vocabulary speak of a futile debate, unaesthetic lexical choices or a threat to the French language. Laura Doyle-Péan, however, has the opposite feeling. "It is a sign of love for the French language to want to develop it, explore it or create vocabulary to reflect current realities. " Lucile Cremier believes that some reviews are in bad faith. "The mortal danger is an expression used by the French Academy [to speak of inclusive writing], while it is a body that wants to observe uses, and not prescriber. When judgments are made by people with a lot of visibility or high authority, who have not done real research or who do not consider the facts, I do not feel that a debate is possible. "
A feeling shared by Sandrine Bourget-Lapointe.
You need words to name yourself and make yourself understood. It’s a question of visibility, survival and place in the world, not a whim. Sandrine Bourget-Lapointe, who gives training on epicene writing Tipping point In recent years, gender-neutral writing has started to take hold in many minds as trans people have taken more and more place in the public sphere. "This turning point has helped expose the fact that we have tools in English to express the diversity of trans backgrounds, but not in French, when non-binary and queer people have been around for decades," says Lucile Cremier. Lori Saint-Martin wonders if inclusive writing will prevail widely or only in certain circles. “We are at a time when, with good reason, these questions are being asked. Time will tell how the French language will evolve, but this reflection is underway. Language is not a frozen entity. It is shaped by all of its speakers. New words are needed. " The epicene language itself continues to evolve. "It's rich, what we are going through," says Sandrine Bourget-Lapointe. Several proposals coexist. Maybe in a few years some formulations will become part of the norm, but for now, I don't think there's a need to sit them down right away, because it's buzzing. "
La Presse
Samuel Larochelle
Special collaboration
https://www.lapresse.ca/arts/litterature/2021-01-10/langage-epicene/s-exprimer-sans-genres.php
Samuel Larochelle
Special collaboration
https://www.lapresse.ca/arts/litterature/2021-01-10/langage-epicene/s-exprimer-sans-genres.php