Gender-neutral language

When nouns, verbs, pronouns, or adjectives are assigned a gender, this is called gendered language. Many languages, such as Spanish and French, employ a grammatical gender system in which all nouns are classified as either masculine or feminine. Other languages, such as English, use gendered terminology when referring to people and animals. To achieve gender neutrality in language, we must adopt new linguistic conventions and stray from universally accepted grammar.

While there is no widely accepted answer for how to handle gender neutrality across cultures and languages, some individuals and organizations are deciding to avoid gendered language choices when appropriate. The United Nations, for instance, released the following guidelines for using gender-inclusive language in English:

• Replace gender-specific words with gender-neutral ones. For example:
  • “Mother/father” becomes “parent 1/parent 2.”
  • “Husband/wife” becomes “spouse 1/spouse 2.”
  • “Boyfriend” or “girlfriend” becomes “partner.”
• Omit the gendered word. For example, the second sentence is better than the first:
  • “The coordinator should continue his/her efforts to improve patient care.”
  • “The coordinator should continue efforts to improve patient care.”
• Restructure the sentence to use the pronoun “who.” For example, the second sentence is better than the first:
  • “If a complainant is unhappy, he or she can request a rehearing.”
  • “A complainant who is unhappy can request a rehearing.”
• Use plural nouns and pronouns for generic subjects. For example, the second sentence is better than the first:
  • “A doctor should familiarize himself or herself with patient records.”
  • “Doctors should familiarize themselves with patient records.”

When working on a translation project, it’s important to consider the intention of the source text. If the original document uses gender-neutral language, that likely means that the writer or company intended to be inclusive in their communications. The translator should take those gender-neutral language choices into account and incorporate them into the translation to the target language to the extent possible.

Self-identification

For processes like admission and registration, as well as all patient-related paperwork, it is important to provide LGBTQ+ people with options to self-identify as they see fit. This not only captures more accurate and relevant information, but also indicates to LGBTQ+ patients that the medical practice is inclusive. According to guidelines from GLMA, an association of LGBTQ+ healthcare professionals, forms should include a write-in field for gender instead of only male and female options.

When interacting with patients as a healthcare interpreter, if you mistakenly use the wrong pronoun, apologize quickly and sincerely. This creates an environment where it is acceptable to make errors and grow from them.

In cases where a patient’s name and/or gender does not match between documents, the National LGBTQ+ Health Education Center recommends inquiring about the difference with questions like, “Could the insurance perhaps be listed under a different name?” Avoid asking a person what their “real” name is, as this could imply that you do not acknowledge the legitimacy of their preferred name.