Robbie Katter thinks people will be prosecuted for saying ‘his’ and ‘her’

Robbie Katter thinks people will be prosecuted for saying ‘his’ and ‘her’
Image: Photo: Facebook / Robbie Katter.

Queensland MP Robbie Katter has proposed legal protection for people who refuse to use gender-neutral language, saying that they are being discriminated against and could even be prosecuted in the future.

Appearing on 2UE talkback radio, the Katter’s Australian Party member claimed that in settings such as universities, gendered words such as ‘he’ and ‘she’ have been banned.

“We had some reports from the universities of downgrading [students’] marks for using gender-exclusive terms, words like his or her, they were being marked down,” he told host Ben Fordham.

Katter referred to gender-neutral language such as ‘they’ as “the terms of gender fluidity”.

“Don’t force everyone,” he said.

“We should be allowed to say his or her if we want and not be punished for it.

“It’s really just trying to put the brakes on some of this political correctness gone mad.”

Multiple Australian universities last week rejected claims that gendered words had been banned, saying they had only issued guidelines to students encouraging gender-neutral language, such as police officer instead of policeman, and use of the singular they.

Katter’s ‘He Said She Said’ bill would protect people from hypothetical repercussions from using gendered terms.

“It’s having a bit of tolerance both ways that some people prefer to use those traditional terms that we’re used to and comfortable with, and don’t like being forced to use language that is different and not that practical,” said Katter.

He said that changes around other gender-related issues should not follow marriage equality.

“That’s not a blank cheque to say everything that’s got anything to do with that sort of issue… that the public have voted for it,” he said.

Katter said language such as referring to a mixed-gender group as guys was “common sense”.

“We accept we’ll cop a lot of criticism for this sort of thing, but we just feel that someone needs to get a counterpoint to this sort of stuff in government,” he said.

“That’s fine if you want to use different words but don’t force everyone to do it, because that’s the height of intolerance.

“You shouldn’t be marked down on university assignments and you shoudln’t be prosecuted in the future if you’re using terms that people aren’t comfortable with, which are his and her.”

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3 responses to “Robbie Katter thinks people will be prosecuted for saying ‘his’ and ‘her’”

  1. Some languages don’t even have non-gendered pronouns. In French all pronouns are gendered, including for all completely inanimate non-gendered nouns. So whether you’re talking about knives and forks, or cars or tables or light bulbs or whatever you aren’t referring to “it”, you are referring to “he” or “she”.

    I completely agree with Robert’s comment that most trans folks still have a gender identity, not having a gender identity is very rare, so just call them by their preferred sex and I can’t see how anyone is offended.

  2. I volunteer at a drop In centre – no it’s not a hook-up centre – for young people many – if not most of whom – are members of our GLBTIQ Community, They come from all sorts of backgrounds and some of those are pretty bloody awful. The young people know that it is a safe environment, they get a meal (gold coin donation), have activities, can talk with a counsellor, mental health nurse etc. Already there is talk that using the terms “He”, “She”, “His”, “Her” is to be banned because it could be offensive to transgendered or those in the process of changing their gender. Why? If you were born male/female and were in the process of changing wouldn’t you want to be identified by the pronouns which describe the gender to which you believe you truly are?
    As a male, if I was Transgender to Female I would be delighted if people referred to me as “She” or “Her”.
    As a male or female – whether by birth or transgender process -t I would be offended if people referred to me as “It” or “That”.
    If this nonsense is allowed to take hold, how are people going to refer to others?
    In conversation with others are we going to refer to someone, who’s name we don’t know, “It” or “That”?
    Are we then not going to be allowed to refer to our partners using terms of endearment such as “Darling”, “Love”, “Sweetheart”?
    Aren’t there far more important issues facing us all today?

  3. Preposterous. What a class traitor. He should be rounded up and sent to Re-education Through Forced Labour immediately. Perhaps he can work as a cleaner at a Sydney Drag Show Bar (if there are any of those left that is).