Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party has launched a petition calling on gendered language to be retained in government communications and forms.

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The petition calls on the government to restore the use of traditional gendered options such as mother/father, husband/wife, son/daughter and grandmother/grandfather in all government forms.

The petition follows the party successfully putting up a motion in the sentate supporting gendered language earlier this year. The motion, which is largely symbolic, was supported by the Morrison government.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson went on to say that the motion was supported because coalition backbenchers voiced their support for it.

Senator Malcolm Roberts recently quizzed Randall Brugeaud, the head of the government’s Digital Transformation Agency, on the use of the government’s style guide and asked what the cost of updating every form and website under government control would be. The bureaucrat said the cost was not something that was known to him.

The One Nation MP asked if the government had clear directions on the use of phrases like father versus non-birth parent, breast milk versus chest milk, or mother versus gestational parent- and if the Digital Transformation Agency was “defying the will of the senate” by not proactively ensuring the gender neutral terms were not used by government departments.

Greens Senator Janet Rice commented on the petition telling Star Observer the reality was that gender neutral language needed to be encouraged not stamped out.

“It should be surprising to exactly no-one that One Nation is happy to throw trans, gender-diverse and non-binary people under the bus if it means peddling their out-of-step and bigoted views.

“Gender-inclusive language is a vital part of affirming identities and preventing transphobic discrimination. The reality is we need more gender-inclusive language, not less, and so we hope people treat this petition as it should be treated: something to throw in the bin,” added Senator Rice.

OIP Staff

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