Tube talk going gender-neutral
BRITAIN: It has been the formal way of addressing an audience for centuries. Now transport bosses in London are banning the greeting ‘‘ladies and gentlemen’’ in favour of a gender-neutral alternative.
Transport for London (TFL) said yesterday that the phrase, which is believed to have its origins in the 16th century, will be scrapped to be replaced with ‘‘good morning everyone’’.
London Underground, which handles 1.37 billion journeys a year, said gender-neutral greetings would be applied to recorded announcements when they were updated later this year. Staff had also been urged to use them. Bosses will issue reminders to staff who continue to use ‘‘ladies and gentlemen’’.
The change was made after months of campaigning by LGBT groups for a change in the ‘‘outdated’’ language used by train and bus staff.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said TFL had to represent a ‘‘vibrant, diverse and multicultural city’’.
TFL said it had made a commitment to use alternatives to genderspecific phrases, for instance by saying ‘‘good morning’’, ‘‘good afternoon everyone’’ and ‘‘hello everyone’’.
Mark Evers, director of customer strategy, said: ‘‘We want everyone to feel welcome on our transport network. We have reviewed the language that we use in announcements and elsewhere and will make sure that it is fully inclusive, reflecting the great diversity of London.’’
A spokesman for Stonewall, which campaigns on behalf of LGBT people, said: ‘‘Language is extremely important to the lesbian, gay, bi and trans community, and the way we use it can help ensure all people feel included.’’ - The Times