© 2024 Blaze Media LLC. All rights reserved.
Posh Manhattan school warns against saying 'mom and dad,' assuming gender, wishing 'Merry Christmas,' and much more in 'inclusive language' guidebook
Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Posh Manhattan school warns against saying 'mom and dad,' assuming gender, wishing 'Merry Christmas,' and much more in 'inclusive language' guidebook

New levels of woke

A posh, private school in Manhattan has issued language recommendations to staff, students, and parents, advising them against using unwelcoming terms such as "mom and dad" and "Merry Christmas" that make assumptions about students' home lives.

What are the details?

Grace Church School in NoHo — which costs more than $57,000 a year to attend — believes the woke 12-page "inclusive language" guide will go a long way towards removing "harmful assumptions" from communication and making the campus a more "welcoming and inclusive" space.

Instead of saying "mom," "dad," or even "parents," the school suggests using terms like "grown-ups," "folks," "family," and "guardians" when communicating about life at home. And instead of saying "boys and girls," "guys," or "ladies and gentlemen," individuals should stick to more generic terms such as "people," "folks," "friends," and "readers."

"Families are formed and structured in many ways. At Grace Church School, we use inclusive language that reflects this diversity. It's important to refrain from making assumptions about who kids live with, who cares for them, whether they sleep in the same place every night, whether they see their parents, etc.," the guide says.

The guide goes on to declare that "human sexuality exists along a spectrum." It adds that staff, students, and parents should "avoid making assumptions about how adults identify themselves in the present or how children might identify themselves in the future" because "sexuality can be fluid along the course of a person's life."

The document also advises against using "assuming gender based on stereotypes" and using boy/girl patterns for school functions such as lining up outside of the class.

"Using gender inclusive language can provide critical affirmation to students across the gender spectrum," it states.

The guide, which was issued last fall, was brought to light recently as part of the City Journal's reporting on how woke ideology is taking over elite education.

What else?

In response to negative press about the language guide, the school's administrator, George Davison, issued a statement Thursday in its defense, saying, "At Grace we understand the power of language both to include and to cause alienation. We also know that it is our job to give community members resources to allow them to make informed and generous choices."

He pointed out that the guide does not ban any language, rather it "give[s] us all words to use that will bring people together."

"So if the boorish 'cancel culture' press wants to condemn us a newly dubbed 'Woke Noho' school of politeness, dignity and respect, then I embrace it, and I hope you will too," he concluded.

Want to leave a tip?

We answer to you. Help keep our content free of advertisers and big tech censorship by leaving a tip today.
Want to join the conversation?
Already a subscriber?