By the Translation Bureau
Consult this page to find guidelines published by various Canadian organizations on gender-inclusive writing in English.
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On this page
Correspondence and forms in English
- Gender-neutral language information card
Source: QMUNITY: BC’s Queer, Trans, and Two-Spirit Resource Centre - Guidelines for inclusive forms
Source: The University of British Columbia - Inclusive and affirming language tips
Source: Egale Canada Human Rights Trust - Trans* Inclusion Takes Different Forms (PDF)
Source: Canadian AIDS Society
General guidelines in English
- Gender identity and sexual orientation: Inclusive and antiracist writing
Source: Simon Fraser University - Gender-inclusive language in academic writing
Source: University of Alberta Library News Blog - Gender-neutral language: McGill University digital standards
Source: McGill University - Guidelines for gender-inclusive language in English
Source: United Nations - Inclusive and accessible design guidelines
See section on “References to People of Diverse Sexual Orientations and Gender Identities”
Source: Canadian Museum for Human Rights - Inclusive language guidelines: Ontario Tech University
See sections on “sex and gender” and “gender identity”
Source: Ontario Tech University - Inclusive language guidelines: Queen’s University
See sections on “gender” and “gender identity”
Source: Queen’s University - Inclusive language style guide: Saint Mary’s University
Source: Saint Mary’s University - Inclusive language style guide: University of Victoria
See sections on “Sex and gender” and “Sexuality and gender identity”
Source: University of Victoria - Inclusive writing – Guidelines and resources
Source: Translation Bureau, Public Services and Procurement Canada - LGBTQ2+ inclusiveness: Toolkit for inclusive municipalities in Canada and beyond (PDF)
Source: Canadian Commission for UNESCO - Media resources: Discussing trans and gender-diverse people
Source: The 519 - Respectful Language Guideline
See “Appendix A”
Source: Law Society of British Columbia - UCalgary News Style Guide
See section titled “Guidelines when writing about gender and sexual diversity”
Source: University of Calgary - Words Matter: Guidelines on using inclusive language in the workplace (PDF)
See section titled “Sexual orientation, gender identity or expression”
Source: Government of British Columbia - Words Matter: McMaster University’s Editorial Style Guide (PDF)
See sections on “gender-neutral language” and “gender identity and sexual orientation”
Source: McMaster University
Legal writing in English
- Gender-free legal writing: Managing the personal pronouns (PDF)
Source: British Columbia Law Institute - Legistics: Gender-neutral language
Source: Department of Justice Canada - Style guide: Security Tribunal of Canada decisions (Part 2 — Inclusive writing)
Source: Social Security Tribunal of Canada
Suggest other resources
Do you know of other Canadian links we could add to this page? If so, please contact the Language Portal of Canada.
Notice
The web pages that make up the collection of Canadian language resources are chosen with care by the Language Portal of Canada team. However, the team is not responsible for maintaining or updating the content of these pages.
Related links
For French resources on this topic, check out our page Écriture inclusive – Principes d’écriture inclusive en anglais.