Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Localizing Inclusive Lessons from the LGBTQ Community by Alex Serac they slash them and Caitlin Kuya she they as localizers, we all recognize the ways in which language plays an important role in daily life. This extends to our gender identity as well. Some languages are built based on a gender binary, leaving folks living outside that binary looking for ways to express their true identity.
[00:00:26] People who don't belong to the predefined man or woman boxes experience their gender in many different ways and come to the realization about their gender in different ways as well, especially in multilingual contexts. In many languages, grammar and pronouns in English, he, she, and they being the most common, vary and help us refine how we refer to ourselves. And once this identity has found its home, language affects us every day from from the validation of being gendered correctly thanks to people using the right pronouns to refer to us, to the hurt that can happen from misgendering. Multilingual environments are what allowed the writers of this article, Caitlyn and Alex, to figure out their true gender identity.
[00:01:07] Caitlyn discovered their identity during their time in Japan.
[00:01:10] Many aspects of Japanese society can be rigid in terms of gender, and this led to her questioning whether she really did identify as a woman and coming to the conclusion that she did not.
[00:01:20] It was a label that never quite fit them, but they hadn't taken the time to reflect on it until they were in an environment that forced the question. Alex discovered their identity during COVID lockdowns. They found solace on the Internet, where most interactions are held in English. Alex realized that not being gendered at every noun and adjective, a stark contrast from their native French, gave them more space to figure out who they were. In fact, language influences had how we perceive and experience gender as a society.
[00:01:50] Let's talk about gender and language, the challenges localizers face when it comes to LGBTQ topics in language and fostering community for LGBTQ localizers. Gender Considerations in Language Many scholars over the years have posited differing ways to categorize linguistic gender. We'll be using the common three category denotation, grammatical gender, natural gender, and genderless. Grammatically gendered languages are languages in which noun classification conjugates adjectives, verbs, adverbs, or a mix of them using a gender distinction male, female, and sometimes neuter. These include languages such as French, Hindi, and Somali. For example, in French, there are four possible ways to write My Friend Called Me depending on the friend and the narrator's genders. A 2018 World bank study estimated that about 38% of the world speaks a gendered language. Natural gender languages are those that do not conjugate other parts of speech based on a noun's gender, but that do have gendered language, such as pronouns for an individual.
[00:02:55] This can include gender neutral pronouns. Examples in this category include English, Danish, and Swedish. For example, in English, a variety of pronouns exist to denote gender, including he, traditionally masculine, she, traditionally feminine, they gender neutral or the gender of the person is unknown, and many other neopronouns fi, Z, A, etc. Finally, genderless languages do not have any grammatical gender or pronominal gender. For example, in Tatar there is one singular genderless pronoun.
[00:03:29] If you wanted to say he, she, they are beautiful, you can simply say ulmat. This category additionally includes languages such as Turkish, Finnish, and Bengali. Consistent utilization of gendered language can have societal consequences. A 2011 study published in the academic journal Sex Roles demonstrated that countries using grammatically gendered language have less gender equality. An additional study in 2020 by researchers representing the World bank and center for World Development showed lower rates of women's workforce participation and education compared with countries that primarily use genderless language. In other words, gender in language is not an LGBTQ issue. At its core, it benefits women and therefore society in general. Gender Non Conforming or Non Binary Folks who live in societies with primarily grammatically gendered languages can face specific linguistic challenges. In Italian, for instance, non binary can be translated either as non binario or non binaria, meaning that a non binary person wanting to refer to themself would have to choose whether they're masculinely or femininely non binary unless they're using non traditional forms of spelling, such as the up and coming schwa ending non binari. In fact, more and more heavily gendered languages are evolving with new, more inclusive practices. These practices sometimes compete against each other. For example, in Spanish, there are entire debates on using Latino, Latin, Latinat, Latinx, and other alternatives. In French and German, we see new spellings that may not translate to pronunciation.
[00:05:02] The users become les utiliciter ices die benazer. In an these forms are much more inclusive, but still impose the gender binary through their masculine feminine format. They're also often not supported by screen readers, sometimes making it a matter of needing to choose whom to prioritize, people who rely on screen readers or gender minorities and women who need inclusive forms. Multilingualism makes all of these challenges exponentially harder.
[00:05:29] One person might not use the same pronouns in one language and in another. For instance, Alex uses they in English but defaults to the masculine in French, creating confusion when they have to check a box that imposes one set of pronouns that will be used everywhere. And while we won't turn this into an essay on artificial intelligence, large language models sometimes struggle with newer forms of language. Alex often gets called the plural and masculine they in French ills due to using the singular and neutral they in English.
[00:06:00] Challenges in using gender Neutral language in localization Localizers face unique challenges, especially when it comes to working across global teams where LGBTQ acceptance varies radically by market.
[00:06:14] Sometimes we work on content that touches on gender and sexuality and we have personal stakes in getting it right.
[00:06:21] Sometimes this same thing happens in markets where inclusive language or the human rights of LGBTQ people are politically contested in a single language, it's still easy to face strong localization issues.
[00:06:34] English is used in Canada, where LGBTQ people benefit from strong legal protections against discrimination, and in Uganda where the death penalty applies to homosexual and transgender people relocalizers. This is a challenge. Offering true representation and inclusion can become a business problem in some countries and outright put people in danger if a certain vocabulary is used to refer to them without their knowledge and control.
[00:07:00] For example, applying a gender neutral pronoun or inclusive form to a user without their consent without them, meaning that their identity has been disclosed without their consent. This is something to keep in mind when implementing gender neutral language to refer to specific people rather than as a general practice, like replacing he or she with they in user manuals. Even in markets where being LGBTQ is generally well accepted, language changes can face strong resistance. In France, for instance, Alex once had to stagger the launch of gender inclusive language for several years due to anti woke rhetoric that tended to flare up at every election.
[00:07:38] In practice, that meant they could easily launch for business audiences which benefit directly from showing their inclusiveness. The general public came as a second step, but public policy documents aimed at political figures were never approved to use gender inclusive spelling forms. Meanwhile, less visible substitutions faced no resistance at all, such as referring to users a gendered word in French as people a gender neutral word in French as this was not a point of contention in French politics.
[00:08:08] Whether you're localizing content that directly addresses LGBTQ people or simply writing a user manual that doesn't need to assume a gender, the choices you make as a localizer matter. We hope this article gives you a new perspective on the topic.
[00:08:23] Creating a Community for LGBTQ localizers Beyond the importance of recognizing linguistic challenges and new approaches to language that the LGBTQ community are actively creating, we believe that finding A community, especially at work, can make a world of difference in our lives and careers. Both Caitlin and Alex have joined Pride employee resource groups at their companies and found much needed community and support. Caitlin is an active member of Wizards Pride, regularly attending events and marching in Seattle's Pride Parade, and co chairs their Queer Book Club. In these groups they found mentors and met people who showed them that localization was a field where they'd be welcome and where they could grow and blossom. This type of representation matters both within and without the localization industry.
[00:09:11] According to a 2021 study performed by Deloitte, companies that have LGBTQ inclusionary policies see a 10% increase in employee satisfaction and engagement, creating real impact for businesses. In fact, Work l Data published in April 2025 show that 40% of LGBTQ and 63% of trans respondents reported that they deliberately choose employers based on inclusion crit outside of work. Several opportunities exist to celebrate sexual orientations and gender identities in all their diversity. The month of June is a prime example.
[00:09:46] June, also known as Pride Month, is a very special month for LGBTQ people in many countries, and this Pride Month we are launching the LGBTQ pilot for the UIGs underrepresented interest groups, a new Women in Localization initiative.
[00:10:02] The LGBTQ UIG is open to people of all underrepresented genders and sexual orientations, and our hope in piloting this group is to create a community and safe space where we can learn together, exchange insights, advocate for ourselves, and mentor one another. It's not just a group of localizers, nor is it just a group of LGBTQ people. The UIG will be a community of professionals who share career and personal experiences with regular conversations held online, on written platforms or through virtual events, with the ultimate goal of creating recommendations for more inclusivity in the industry and beyond. Caitlin and Alex met while working on this project. In fact, we found a friend and someone to talk shop within each other, and we hope that all members of the UIG will find this too. The LGBTQ UIG will be the first of several groups for members of underrepresented communities in the localization world, including bipoc folks and people living with disabilities.
[00:11:02] If you are interested in joining, please reach out to us. And if you'd like to learn more about this new initiative, follow Women in localization on LinkedIn or reach out directly by email at uggsomeninlocalization.com for more information on the launch of the pilot LGBTQ UIG in future groups. This article was written by Alex Zurac they slashed them are a content strategy consultant with over a decade of experience making complex information accessible across languages cultures. Formerly head of content at Hyley and a marketing localization editor at Meta. For six years, they have bridged the gap between experts and the public in the fields of tech and open knowledge. An elected administrator of Wikipedia in French, Alex works with multilingual communities committed to removing barriers to culture and information.
[00:11:50] Caitlin Kwiot she they are currently a localization specialist at Wizards of the Coast. They graduated from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in 2021 with a Master's in translation and Localization management, having just come from a two year stint teaching English in Japan with the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program.
[00:12:09] In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing video games, weightlifting, and petting dogs. Originally published in Multilingual Magazine, Issue 252, June 2026.
