Growing recognition and understanding of gender-non-conforming, non-binary, queer, and other gender identities have led to shifts in language use and structures. One of the most obvious examples is the increased popularity of declaring one’s gender using gender-neutral and neo-pronouns in languages that traditionally lack such forms of expression, e.g. the English they/them/their and ze/zer/zeir. Expressing non-binary identities in languages with grammatical gender can be challenging and has led to the emergence of new noun and adjective forms, such as the gender-neutral Spanish chique/chiques ‘child/children’ from the older binary forms chico/chicos ‘boy/boys’ and chica/chicas ‘girl/girls’. Similarly, in some languages (e.g. Hebrew, Arabic, Welsh, and French), even verb forms or prepositions can be gendered, which means that the introduction of new gender-neutral forms is starting to change the verbal structures of the languages in question. Likewise, growing numbers of languages are introducing innovative gender-neutral orthographic symbols; for example, in Spanish the letter x has come to be used as an inclusive replacement for masculine and feminine noun and adjective endings in writing. Conversely, speakers of languages without grammatical gender, such as Finnish, have seen other linguistic developments in response to gender diversity, such as the use of English pronouns, gender-neutral names, and new vocabulary to describe the range of gender identities. Another aspect of these societal changes is the spread of new practical ways to enable and support the expression of gender identities in the language classroom (for both teachers and students).

The purpose of this two-day conference is to explore non-binary, gender-inclusive, and gender-non-conforming language cross-linguistically. We welcome contributions on all languages, but are especially interested in minority, endangered, and Indigenous languages.

Submission Guidelines

Abstracts should be 300 words in length excluding references and should be submitted via EasyChair by 1 April 2023. Notifications of acceptance by 1 May 2023. For queries, please contact the organisers l.kahn@ucl.ac.uk and r.valijarvi@ucl.ac.uk.

List of Topics

Questions to explore include but are not limited to:

• Which new terminology has emerged or been developed in the world’s languages to describe agender, non-binary, gender-non-conforming, and queer people?
• Which new pronouns are used, and how?
• How do naming practices reflect non-binary identities?
• How do languages with vs without grammatical gender adjust to diverse gender expressions?
• How can we create a gender-inclusive environment in the language classroom?
• What orthographic solutions can support gender-inclusive language?
• How have names of professions adjusted to non-binary gender identities?
• Have new forms of in-group language developed among non-binary, agender, and gender-non-confirming people (cf. Polari)?
• What kind of societal responses (backlash/support/debate, etc.) have there been to linguistic changes that express gender diversity?
• What is the social and community impact of non-binary and gender-inclusive language?
• What historical practices are there in non-binary and gender-inclusive language?
• How do developments of gender-inclusive language relate to broader trends of gender-equal/anti-sexist language?
• How are non-binary and third-gender identities conceptualised in Indigenous and non-European languages (e.g. North American two-spirit, Hawaiian and Tahitian māhū)?

Invited Speakers

tbc

Publication

Articles based on selected conference papers will be subsequently published in a peer-reviewed edited volume.

Venue

The conference will be held in hybrid format (in person at University College London and online) 14-15 June 2023.

Organisers

Lily Kahn, University College London

Riitta-Liisa Valijärvi, University College London and Uppsala University