Police are being told not to call people ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’, but to use ‘gender-neutral’ forms of address.
Training for LGBT+ support officers advises them to ‘avoid making assumptions about a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity’ and to use terms such as ‘you’, ‘everyone’ and ‘all’.
It’s a far cry from the image of the traditional Bobby on the beat, represented by PC George Dixon, hero of the classic TV series Dixon Of Dock Green.
Happily, his cheery, disarming catchphrase, ‘Evening all’, doesn’t appear to have been outlawed by the guidance for Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire officers, which was revealed using Freedom of Information laws.
No ladies or gentlemen at the Lords! Staff are told to say folks or colleagues instead in ‘inclusive’ language guide
Authorities at the House of Lords have warned staff against using ‘offensive’ terms such as ‘man-made’ or ‘manpower’ – yet fail to make any mention of the upper chamber’s decidedly masculine name.
The Lords, which has almost 800 members and around 650 staff, has produced an ‘Inclusive Language Guide’ listing words and phrases to be avoided by employees.
The guide, obtained by The Mail on Sunday under Freedom of Information laws, refers to the traditional greeting ‘ladies and gentlemen’ as well as the word ‘guys’ when used to describe a group of people.
It states: ‘The language you use impacts others around you, if the words and phrases you use are offensive this may exclude certain groups of people based on assumptions; cause distress or embarrassment; reinforce derogatory labels or stereotypes and belittle certain groups of people.’