Quebec bans gender-neutral pronouns in official government documents

The Quebec government is banning the use of newly emerging gender-neutral words in all official communications.

Quebec will ban the use of non-binary words, such as “iel” and “toustes,” as well as inclusive formulations such as “citoyen.e.s,” in government communications.

The Minister of the French Language, Jean-François Roberge, will publish a regulation to this effect on Wednesday. It will apply to all government communications to citizens; it does not apply to internal emails.

At a press scrum Wednesday outside the National Assembly in Quebec City, Roberge said he wanted to put an end to linguistic confusion that currently exists. He said certain forms of writing were incompatible with French grammar rules.

“What we see is that there is an incoherence, it’s like everyone has their own grammar, it doesn’t make sense,” he said.

In recent years, terms have emerged to refer to people who do not identify as either male or female. Others aim to neutralize gender in order to create more inclusive writing. This approach has generated polarized reactions.

If they want to be inclusive, government employees will have to turn to gender-neutral writing, as recommended by the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF). The organization suggests including both genders (such as lecteurs, lectrices) or a neutral term (le lectorat).

For now, the policy will apply to government departments and municipalities, Roberge said, but similar rules will be introduced for schools, universities and the health-care system. 

He states the CAQ government is following in the footsteps of France, Belgium, and Switzerland.

The government says public bodies have a duty to use exemplary French, and Roberge says the language must be easy for everyone to understand. 

The province says non-binary people will still be able to use the gender marker X on certain government documents.   

-With files from The Canadian Press