The national assembly.

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Jacques Witt / SIPA

Inclusive writing is far from unanimous.

About sixty deputies, mainly from the majority and from the LR opposition, call for "prohibiting inclusive writing in administrative documents" and for legal persons responsible for a public service mission, according to a bill sent. at the Assembly this Wednesday.

Its author François Jolivet (LREM) describes inclusive writing as a “personal and militant” and “in nothing majority” choice, which “scrambles the messages” and “makes learning the French language more complex”.

"Moreover, experts in dyslexia, dyspraxia and dysphasia are concerned and alert to the additional difficulties generated by this form of writing", he adds in the explanatory memorandum to his bill, co-signed in particular by the delegate president of the LREM group Aurore Bergé or the LR vice-president of the National Assembly Annie Genevard.

The worry of "new words"

With this text, especially symbolic in scope at this stage, François Jolivet wants above all to "fuel the debate, raise awareness and encourage ministries to take circulars like Edouard Philippe in 2017", indicates the deputy to AFP .

In a circular of 21 November 2017 on "the rules of feminization", the former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe had "invited" his ministers, "in particular for texts intended for publication in the Official Journal of the French Republic, not to not make use of so-called inclusive writing ”.

François Jolivet is worried about the appearance of “new words” in “sometimes official publications” such as “iels” for “they / them”, “toustes” for “all / all” or “celleux” for “those / those”. ".

His bill aims to prohibit inclusive writing "in administrative documents" and for "bodies and persons responsible for a public service mission".

A way to fight for equality

The promoters of inclusive writing see it as a way to fight for gender equality.

In addition to the use of "neutral" words, she recommends using both the feminine and the masculine when addressing men and women, and calls into question the rule of agreement of the French language according to which, in the plural, "the masculine prevails over the feminine".

It is reflected in particular by spellings such as "les deputies" or "les électeur.rice.s" or by a rule of agreement with the closest subject, for example "Louis and Louise are beautiful".

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