Originally a comment by Acolyte of Sagan on The non-optional communinny.

The guide references the BSA, so it’s now out of date. After 114 years of being the Boy Scouts of America the name has recently been changed to Scouting America. I only know this from a Telegraph article about the Scouts (no longer Boy Scouts) in the UK being taught about pronouns use by means of a card game, Pronoun Pairs. The whole thing is ridiculous.

[The game] suggests “using ‘sibling’ rather than ‘brother or sister’, ‘everyone’ instead of ‘ladies and gentlemen’ or ‘boys and girls’”. It adds: “You could use ‘parent’, ‘carer’ or ‘grown-up’ rather than ‘mum and dad’.”

I can see that going down well well at home. “Good morning Timmy.” “Good morning, carer, is grown-up taking me and sibling fishing today?”

The game states: “It can feel awkward or forced when you start implementing gender-neutral language. That’s normal.

Yes, it’s normal for it to feel awkward and forced because it is awkward and forced, you idiots.

The important thing is to keep at it so that it has a chance to become a part of your everyday communication.”

Ah, the old sales mantra; ‘persistence removes resistance’.