The debate about the gender star continues – soon in the Cantonal Council.
The Zurich universities have introduced language guidelines for students.
The use of the gender star in the Zurich city administration has been legitimized by the highest authority: On Sunday, the voters rejected the initiative “Goodbye Gender Star” proposed by SVP cantonal councilor and city party president Susanne Brunner.
However, the star remains a topic, at least at the cantonal level. While the canton does not use gender-neutral language in its communication, many universities have introduced language guidelines for students that have sparked controversy among conservative politicians.
For example, ZHAW’s guideline aims to demonstrate “how a language that is diverse and inclusive can be successful as part of our university culture.” The university based in Winterthur prefers “gender-neutral and inclusive terms” and uses the colon as a gender symbol in official communications and decrees.
The University of Zurich adheres to its “Gender Policy Code of Conduct” and states in its language guidelines, among other things, about the use of the gender star: “It is important to consider on a case-by-case basis which people the text is intended to reach and make visible, and then use the appropriate forms.” The university rejects the generic masculine form, as it “obscures” the presence of women and is often inaccurate.
Educational University recommends the colon
On the other hand, the Zurich University of Teacher Education recommends avoiding the gender star and instead using the colon as a special character, as it is barrier-free. Text-to-speech programs for visually impaired individuals only pause at the colon; asterisks and other characters, on the other hand, are read by the programs and disrupt the flow of the text.
Susanne Brunner is concerned that students may face a deduction in grades if they do not adhere to the respective language regulations in written assignments. Therefore, along with Corinne Hoss and Reto Agosti (both FDP), she has submitted a motion in the Cantonal Council to prevent “gender coercion” at Zurich educational institutions.
The motion is likely to be discussed in the Cantonal Council soon. The government council itself rejects it – and from the statement, it is clear that the government is not keen on revisiting the matter. After all, it has already expressed its views on the topic “extensively and across all educational levels” several times. In 2022, when ZHAW’s language guideline came into effect, conservative cantonal councilors submitted a total of three inquiries on the matter.
In the statement regarding the current motion, the government council states that universities are obligated to promote gender equality. However, there are no regulations at the cantonal educational institutions that force students to use gender-neutral language. The universities’ guidelines are merely “recommendatory” without mandatory requirements.
The existing regulations are based on the constitutional mandate to promote actual gender equality in language. The canton itself follows the “Guidelines for Gender-Neutral Language” provided by the federal government, which prohibits the gender star.
No guidelines for language use
The overarching legal framework for gender-neutral language is provided by the Federal Constitution, the Federal Act on Gender Equality, and the cantonal constitution. These legal foundations are binding for universities, and they do not contain any directives for the use of gender-neutral formulations.
As the government council states, there are also no guidelines for the use of gender-neutral language in other educational levels.
In conclusion, the government council states: “In practice, there are no issues at educational institutions regarding gender-neutral language. Should students experience disadvantages, they have legal recourse. However, the government council is not aware of any such legal proceedings.”
The discussion in the Cantonal Council is unlikely to be as dry as the government council’s statement. If the motion’s supporters prevail and the motion is referred, the government council will need to develop a legal basis to ensure that students are not disadvantaged by the absence of gender language.