Gender-Inclusive Communication
The amendment to the Civil Status Act, which allows the entry of "diverse" in addition to "male", "female" and "unspecified", broke with the binary gender system back in 2018.A sensitive approach to language and images is required in order to address all genders and further identities in an equally visible and appreciative manner. Gender-inclusive communication is therefore one of the many steps on the way to a TIN*-inclusive, low-discrimination and diversity-promoting university.
To support you in using gender-inclusive language, these guidelines for gender-inclusive communication were developed in a wide-ranging, participatory process at TU Dresden. It serves as a binding basis for external and internal communication in everyday university life.
In particular, neutral formulations (e.g. students, lecturers) and the gender colon (e.g. professors, colleagues) should be used for language use at TU Dresden. However, there are no limits to your creativity and approach in the gender-sensitive use of language and images.
"Doing justice to gender" Guide to gender-inclusive communication (publication 2021 PDF file)
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions, comments or suggestions:
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Büro der Gleichstellungs- und Frauenbeauftragten der TUD
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Dr. phil. Jutta Luise Eckhardt
Gleichstellungs- und Frauenbeauftragte der TU Dresden
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Besucheradresse:
Weberbau
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Rampe, Aufzug, Raum 234
Weberplatz 5
01217 Dresden
Office hours:
- Thursday:
- 11:00 - 14:00
- oder nach Vereinbarung
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Anja Wiede
Contact person in cases of harassment, discrimination, violence
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M13 Mensa und TUD, Room 6-234 Mommsenstr. 13
01069 Dresden
Unfortunately, access to my office is not barrier-free. Please let me know if you have any needs.
Universities with language guides
Here you will find a list of universities with language guides.
The guide from a linguistic perspective
Dominik Hetjens and Marlene Rummel, a researcher and a member of the Chair of German Linguistics and Language History, have summarized their perspectives in a compact article exclusively for culTUre.
Gender-inclusive language and accessible documents
Dipl. Päd. Anja Winker (TU Dresden) discusses the legal foundations of accessibility and definitions of the terms inclusion vs. integration. Gender-inclusive language is also necessary and easily possible in accessible documents and it helps all users to make such documents available in an accessible format. You can find a recording of the presentation here.
Legal opinion on gender-equitable official language
In December 2021, Prof. Dr. UlrikeLembke (Humboldt University Berlin) prepared a legal opinion on gender-equitable official language on behalf of the City of Hanover. The legal expertise provides an assessment of the legal effectiveness of administrative forms of action when using the gender star or gender-inclusive formulations.
In her expert opinion, Prof. Dr. Lembke comes to the conclusion that the use of gender-equitable language, including the gender star, cannot have a (negative) influence on the effectiveness or binding nature of administrative action, but conversely increases its constitutional conformity.
You can find the report in full here: https: //www.hannover.de/Service/Presse-Medien/Landeshauptstadt-Hannover/Aktuelle-Meldungen-und-Veranstaltungen/Gutachten-bestätigt-Genderstar-verwirklicht-Verfassungsauftrag
A summary of the key findings can be found here: https://www.rewi.hu-berlin.de/de/lf/ls/lbk/gutachten-genderstar-amtssprache_ergebnisse_lembke2021.pdf