Writing inclusively

General rules

Only refer to a person's race, ethnicity or nationality if it is relevant to the information you are sharing (e.g. with student figures).

When writing about nationality, be as clear as possible and avoid broad strokes that might be interpreted as a generality or erasure. For instance, say someone is from China rather than Asia.

When talking about race, ethnicity or nationality in a group context, find out what language / which term is preferred by the group. A consensus (e.g. with BAME, which we will talk about further on) may not be universal, but we should be led by our communities and be as specific as possible.

Identity is extremely personal and important, so one of the best ways to develop your understanding is to listen, educate yourself, learn, and politely ask about preferences, if in doubt.

Terms we use

Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) - this is the agreed terms we use when writing about members of these communities, as this reflects how we collect and store staff and student data, and it aligns with our reporting obligations and usage within the majority of other Higher Education institutions.

However, this acronym runs the risk of homogenising identities and backgrounds and involves a confusing combination of race, ethnicity and nationality whilst ignoring individual identity and experiences. It also makes ‘White’ the standard and classes everyone else as ‘other’.

Some people feel that using the ‘long’ form of the term, ‘Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic’, can be more useful than the catch-all acronym, BAME, as it does draw out some specific identities (unlike ‘people of colour’).

In general, if you are writing about Black people, use the term ‘Black’ rather than BAME. Again, be specific where you can.

When talking about White students, be sensitive and granular as possible, bearing in mind that 'White' is sometimes a catch-all for Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller groups.

As we are aware that these terms are considered problematic by some, we will continue to review our use of language around race and ethnicity, through our Race Equality Action Group.

Broad ethnicity - Black, White (not Caucasian) written in upper case.

Specific ethnicity - African, Chinese, Indian, British written in upper case.

Gender is a person’s sense of self - whether this is being a man, woman or otherwise self-defined; this may, or may not, correspond to an individual’s sex assigned at birth.

Using the correct pronouns is incredibly important, it can make trans and gender non-conforming people feel seen and welcome. Use of gender neutral pronouns is also helpful in a practical sense, as names do not denote gender. 

Pronouns: if you are writing to or about someone, using the correct pronouns shows respect for that person’s gender identity and builds on our culture of inclusivity. 

Some points you may wish to take on board:

• We suggest everyone considers including their own preferred pronouns in their email signature if they feel comfortable doing so. The practice of including pronouns in email signatures normalises the idea that gender shouldn’t be assumed, and demonstrates the University’s commitment to recognising diverse identities and gender expressions.
• Until you know someone’s pronouns, try to use ‘they / them’ where possible and / or their first name. 
• The most common pronouns are she / her and he / him, but many people choose to use different gender-neutral pronouns such as they / them. Alternatively, a person may wish to be referred to by their first name instead of a personal pronoun. Queen Mary has a Pronouns Matter Leaflet that you can refer to, to learn more.
• When creating forms and / or collecting personal information and when using titles, remember that not everybody will be comfortable using gendered titles. Consider including non-gendered alternatives such as ‘Mx’.

Terms we use

• Cisgender – a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth (non-trans).
• Gender dysphoria – when a person experiences discomfort and anxiety because their gender identity does not align with their sex assigned at birth.
• Gender identity – a person’s sense of their own internal gender. This may or may not align with the sex they were assigned at birth.
• Gender reassignment – gender reassignment describes the characteristic of an individual who is proposing to undergo, is undergoing, or has undergone a process (or part of a process) of reassigning their person sex by changing physiological or other attributes of sex. Queen Mary refers to ‘trans people’ to reflect current language and terminology that is used in our society today.
• Intersex – an intersex person is born with ambiguous genitalia and/or sex chromosomal variations, making it difficult to classify their biological sex as either male or female at birth. There are many different intersex variations. An intersex person may self-identify as male, female or non-binary.
• Non-binary – an umbrella term to describe people whose gender identity doesn’t sit comfortably with the binary of ‘man’ or ‘woman’, and a distinct gender in itself. Some non-binary people may identify with some aspects of binary identities (e.g. they may feel they embody some elements of masculinity or femininity or both), while others reject them entirely. Rather than he or she, non-binary people may use gender-neutral pronouns.
• Transgender or ‘trans’ – the diverse range of people whose gender identity does not align with the sex they were assigned at birth, e.g. a trans woman could be a woman whose sex assigned at birth was male, but identifies and lives as a woman. Trans includes non-binary people. At Queen Mary we refer to ‘trans people’ to reflect current language and terminology that is used in our society today.
• Transphobia – unlawful prejudice against trans people, it may be realised through acts of discrimination, bullying and harassment.

Things to note

We have covered topics and terms that we believe will be useful in your day-to-day Queen Mary life and work. There are further definitions and resources available too.

Terms we use

• Sexual orientation is the term we use at Queen Mary when referring to a person’s attraction to other people, or lack thereof.
• We are also careful to use person-centered language, eg, lesbian, gay, bisexual people / members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual community.
• The use of inclusive language such as parents / caregivers is less likely to be exclusionary or othering, especially if family formation is not specified / unknown.
• Similarly the use of partner / spouse (if the gender of the person’s partner is not specified / unknown) is inclusive.
• Ally – allyship is about being an active and ongoing supporter and champion in solidarity with a marginalised group of people, such as LGBTQA+ people.
• Ace – ace is an umbrella term used to describe a variation in levels of romantic and/or sexual attraction, including a lack of attraction.
• Asexual – someone who is asexual does not experience sexual attraction to anyone.
• Bisexual/Bi – bi is an umbrella term used to describe a romantic and/or sexual orientation towards more than one gender.
• Gay – can refer to a man who has a romantic and/or sexual attraction towards men; also, in some instances, a generic term for lesbian, gay and queer sexualities.
• Lesbian – refers to a woman who has a romantic and/or sexual attraction towards women.
• LGBTQA+ – the acronym for lesbian, gay, bi and trans, queer and asexual/ace.
• Pansexual – refers to a person who's romantic and/or sexual attraction towards others is not limited by sex or gender.
• Questioning – the process of exploring your own sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
• Queer – queer is a term used by those wanting to reject specific labels of romantic orientation, sexual orientation and/or gender identity and more broadly by the LGBTQA+ community. A process of reclaiming the slur began in the late 80s; however, queer is not a universally accepted term and its use will depend upon context. It is always best to respectfully and politely ask individuals how they self-describe before labelling their sexual orientation.
• Straight/heterosexual – a person who has a romantic and/or sexual attraction towards people of the opposite sex.

Things to note

There is further information available about sexual orientation at Queen Mary, including information about our LGBTQA+ staff network, QMOUT, and support for staff & students.

When writing about disability, we should not use victimising or negative terms that characterise people as belonging to a group with common needs. Always put the person before the disability. We have listed some common errors and the alternatives that we should adopt instead.

Terms to use

• With learning disabilities, e.g. “The Disability and Dyslexia Service offers support for all students with specific learning difficulties.”
• Has/have [name of condition], e.g. “If you have ADHD, our University offers a range of services and resources to help you achieve your academic potential.”
• Non-disabled, e.g. “We shoud not assume a person is non-disabled, as many disabilities are non-visible.”
• Person with epilepsy, child with autism, a person with depression or someone who has epilepsy, autism or depression, e.g. “We offer additional resources for teaching a person with autism.”
• Seizures, e.g. “Learn how epilepsy and seizures can affect people’s lives, by hearing from someone with first-hand experience.” 
• Wheelchair user, e.g. “Our accessible campus spaces are adapted to wheelchair users.”

Terms to avoid

• The handicapped/the disabled.
• Mentally handicapped/mentally disabled.
• Afflicted by/suffers from/victim of.
• Able-bodied.
• An epileptic/an autistic child/a diabetic etc.
• Fits/spells/attacks.
• Wheelchair-bound/confined to a wheelchair.

As with many protected characteristics, the language around disability is continuously evolving, and so is our understanding of what disability fully entails. These are some basic guidelines we will update when needed. The government’s website also offers guidance on writing about disability.