The University of Brighton has issued a nine-page document called “inclusive language guidance” to its lecturers, encouraging them to refrain from using the term “Christmas” and instead refer to the “winter closure period,” The Daily Mail reported earlier this month.
According to the guidance, the word “Christmas” is too “Christian-centric” and staff should aim to use “inclusive language confidently and effectively” to ensure that all students and staff feel “safe, valued and respected.”
The document also advises staff not to ask students about their “Christian name,” but rather their “first name” or “given name,” and to avoid making generalizations about groups of people based on their age, such as calling them “millennial snowflakes” or saying “old people cannot use technology.”
A spokesman for the university stated that the guidance was produced with input from both staff and students and is intended to promote a sense of respect and inclusivity at the university.
However, Andrew Allison of the Freedom Association criticized the guidance as “Orwellian and ridiculous” and suggested that staff and students should ignore it and have a “good Christmas.”
