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Monday, Nov 16, 2026
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Secretary of State urged staffers to avoid ‘problematic’ terms like ‘manpower’ and ‘mother/father’
Secretary of State Antony Blinken advised State Department staff to avoid gender-specific terms such as "mother," "father," and "manpower," citing a memo.
He addressed gender as a social construct in the document titled "Modeling DEIA: Gender Identity Best Practices," as reported by National Review.
Blinken recommended using gender-neutral language to show respect, suggesting staff could share their pronouns in emails and meetings to prevent assumptions and exclusivity. He emphasized respect for personal choices regarding pronoun preferences like "she/her," "he/him," "they/them," and "ze/zir."
Alternative terms suggested include "labor force" instead of "manpower," "everyone" or "folks" instead of "guys" or "ladies and gentlemen," and "parent," "child," "spouse," or "partner" instead of family roles. He urged precision over phrases like "brave men and women on the front lines," preferring role-specific language.
Despite previously using the language he now advises against in a Veterans Day post, Blinken encourages addressing pronoun missteps respectfully, acknowledging that gender identity can change over time.
The State Department has not commented on the memo's release.
Blinken recommended using gender-neutral language to show respect, suggesting staff could share their pronouns in emails and meetings to prevent assumptions and exclusivity. He emphasized respect for personal choices regarding pronoun preferences like "she/her," "he/him," "they/them," and "ze/zir."
Alternative terms suggested include "labor force" instead of "manpower," "everyone" or "folks" instead of "guys" or "ladies and gentlemen," and "parent," "child," "spouse," or "partner" instead of family roles. He urged precision over phrases like "brave men and women on the front lines," preferring role-specific language.
Despite previously using the language he now advises against in a Veterans Day post, Blinken encourages addressing pronoun missteps respectfully, acknowledging that gender identity can change over time.
The State Department has not commented on the memo's release.