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MODEL OF NEUTRAL-INCLUSIVITY
BOOK OF SYMBOLS
THE CHOICE OF WORDS AND NAMES
SPEAKING TO OR ABOUT SIBS AND OTHER PEOPLE

2.2.2 

FORMS OF ADDRESS


Just as sexualists use Brother and Sister, and also Father and Mother, as 'titles', so inclusivists can use Sibling as a 'title', that is, as a 'title' for everyone without any exclusivist content. Sibling may, then, also be a form of address: Sibling Lee, Sibling Nan, Sibling Ronnie, and so on.

Religiogenic, bourgeois or proletarian titles like Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms and Tovarish (if used for young men but not for young women) are obviously unsuitable for inclusivist reproduction. (Not to mention religious or theodemonical excrescences such as The Right Reverend Father in God, Lord Bishop by Divine Providence.) They make use of sexual, marital and etatic distinctions which do not have the universal and permanent relevance which is implicitly suggested (altho in the subcultures concerned the influence of the belief in the relevance of these distinctions may be very pervasive indeed).

An appropriate alternative for bourgeois and other exclusivist forms of address is Person, for that is what we are addressing ourselves to: to persons, not to bodies or small children. Instead of Mr Burgher and Mrs, Miss or Ms Labour, Person Burgher and Person Labour will do as well as the Sibling variant. Comrade and an equivalent like Tovarish (or Tovarich) may also be acceptable, provided that no distinction is drawn between males and females, and provided that this does not lead to confusion between the DNI and incompatible ideologies.

Should 'titles' like Sibling, Person and Comrade seem too short or not polite enough, one can always add (my) dear or respected. (In that case respect denotes concern and sympathy.) The Resp(ected) P(erson)s Burgher and Labour or Labour and Burgher should thus replace Mr and Mrs Burgher. This nonsexualist form of address shows respect for Sibling Labour in particular, when compared with the archaic and bourgeois Mrs Burgher or --even worse-- Mrs John Burgher. When Labour and Burgher are not only two different persons but also partners, and are addressed as a couple, "(the respected) partners (Person) Labour and (Person) Burgher" (or "Burgher and (Person) Labour") may be used, or "(the respected) Person Labour and partner" (if Burgher's surname is not known) or "(the respected) Person Burgher and partner" (if Labour's surname is not known). When Dear Siblings is used to address a group of people, it does not only transcend the irrelevantism of a monosexual expression like Beloved Brethren but also of a bisexual expression like Ladies and Gentlemen (except, maybe, when the speaker is allocating toilets to female and male, adult humans respectively). And --again-- Dear Siblings is not obligatory. For those who have an open mind there are enough imaginative alternatives to the antiquated sexually, maritally and otherwise exclusivistic titles or forms of address.

In a relevantist environment it need not be explained that, and why, one does not consider a person's sex, marital status or age when speaking to or about 'im. In a mixed environment, however, it may clarify one's position, when emphasizing that one does not believe a person's sex, marital status or age to be to the point in the context concerned. This can be done by adding some sort of 'irrelevancy phrase' such as without irrelevance, free from (irrelevant) distinction(s), free from irrelevance or without (irrelevant) distinction(s). Especially in situations where sexual, marital and/or etatic exclusivism are still going strong, the connection with these exisms can be shown by adding of sex, marital status, age (or otherwise). For example, one may start a lecture with Dear listeners, please accept my respects free from distinctions of sex and age; or a letter with Dear Persons, please accept our greetings free from irrelevant distinctions.

Official titles may be regarded as relevant, if someone holds a certain office, and when the communication refers to official business. Examples are Dear Professor, My Dear Ambassador and The President.

In addressing, referring to or saluting a person the first time, someone may want to employ a longer or more formal expression, while using a shorter or more informal one later on. Thus 'e could write the first time "My Dear Person Councilor Onoma, please accept my respects free from irrelevant distinctions" (Onoma being another, fictitious surname). When 'e has known the addressee for some time already, 'e could simply write "Dear Person Onoma" or "Dear Onoma", if not using 'er forename or call name instead.


©MVVM, 41-57 ASWW
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Model of Neutral-Inclusivity
Book of Symbols
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Speaking to or about Sibs and Other People
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