Secretary of State urged staffers to avoid ‘problematic’ terms like ‘manpower’ and ‘mother/father’

Secretary of State Antony Blinken instructed State Department employees to refrain from using gendered terms such as “mother, “father” and “manpower” in a recent internal memo, according to a report. 

The Biden administration official argued in the memo that gender is a social construct and that a person’s gender identity “may or may not correspond with one’s sex assigned at birth,” according to the Feb. 5 missive.

The note was obtained by National Review and titled: “Modeling DEIA: Gender Identity Best Practices.” 

Blinken encouraged his colleagues at the State Department to use “gender-neutral language whenever possible” to “show respect and avoid misunderstandings.” He also suggested that employees identify their preferred pronouns in emails and when introducing themselves in meetings, according to the outlet. 

Blinken cautioned State Department employees against “misgendering” people in a Feb. 5 memo, according to a report. AP

Assuming an individual’s gender identity simply based on their appearance or name “can be problematic” and conveys a “harmful, exclusionary message,” Blinken states in the memo. 

However, he asks staffers not to “pressure someone to state their pronouns.”

“Commonly used pronouns could include she/her, he/him, they/them, and ze/zir,” the secretary of state explains, noting that in some cases people use a variety of pronouns or accept all pronouns. 

“This is a personal decision that should be respected,” Blinken wrote. 

Commonly used terms such as “manpower,” “you guys,” “ladies and gentlemen,” “mother/father,” “son/daughter” and “husband/wife” should be avoided, according to the State Department chief, and replaced with words like, “labor force,” “everyone,” “folks,” “you all,” “parent,” “child,” “spouse” or partner” instead.

“When speaking, avoid using phrases like ‘brave men and women on the front lines,’” the memo continues, suggesting the “use more specific language such as ‘brave first responders,’ ‘brave soldiers,’ or ‘brave DS agents.’”

Terms such as “brave men and women” and “ladies and gentlemen” should be avoided by State Department staffers, according to Blinken’s memo. RS-photography – stock.adobe.com

Last year, in a Veterans Day X post, Blinken himself appeared to err on his guidance, writing, “We stand united in honoring the brave men and women who served our country.”

When staffers inadvertently use the wrong pronouns to address someone, Blinken asks that they handle the slip-up with “subtlety and grace,” while keeping in mind that gender identity “may be fluid, so remain attuned to and supportive of shifts in pronouns.”

The State Department did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.