Words Removed From Government Sites and Other Comms

The list of words forbidden on U.S. government websites and other communications would make an interesting, although difficult, class conversation. The New York Times review of agency messages providing advice for updating government documentation (including school curricula) invites questions about word choice.

The Times points out that this list includes guidance from any agency and might not apply to all agencies. Still, I’m curious in which context some of these words and phrases should not be used, for example, pollution and mental health.

I won’t comment further, but I thought business communication faculty—and our students—might want to see the list, which is behind a NYT firewall. The reporters also say this list may be incomplete.

• accessible

• activism

• activists

• advocacy

• advocate

• advocates

• affirming care

• all-inclusive

• allyship

• anti-racism

• antiracist

• assigned at birth

• assigned female at birth

• assigned male at birth

• at risk

• barrier

• barriers

• belong

• bias

• biased

• biased toward

• biases

• biases towards

• biologically female

• biologically male

• BIPOC

• Black

• breastfeed + people

• breastfeed + person

• chestfeed + people

• chestfeed + person

• clean energy

• climate crisis

• climate science

• commercial sex worker

• community diversity

• community equity

• confirmation bias

• cultural competence

• cultural differences

• cultural heritage

• cultural sensitivity

• culturally appropriate

• culturally responsive

• DEI

• DEIA

• DEIAB

• DEIJ

• disabilities

• disability

• discriminated

• discrimination

• discriminatory

• disparity

• diverse

• diverse backgrounds

• diverse communities

• diverse community

• diverse group

• diverse groups

• diversified

• diversify

• diversifying

• diversity

• enhance the diversity

• enhancing diversity

• environmental quality

• equal opportunity

• equality

• equitable

• equitableness

• equity

• ethnicity

• excluded

• exclusion

• expression

• female

• females

• feminism

• fostering inclusivity

• GBV

• gender

• gender based

• gender based violence

• gender diversity

• gender identity

• gender ideology

• gender-affirming care

• genders

• Gulf of Mexico

• hate speech

• health disparity

• health equity

• hispanic minority

• historically

• identity

• immigrants

• implicit bias

• implicit biases

• inclusion

• inclusive

• inclusive leadership

• inclusiveness

• inclusivity

• increase diversity

• increase the diversity

• indigenous community

• inequalities

• inequality

• inequitable

• inequities

• inequity

• injustice

• institutional

• intersectional

• intersectionality

• key groups

• key people

• key populations

• Latinx

• LGBT

• LGBTQ

• marginalize

• marginalized

• men who have sex with men

• mental health

• minorities

• minority

• most risk

• MSM

• multicultural

• Mx

• Native American

• non-binary

• nonbinary

• oppression

• oppressive

• orientation

• people + uterus

• people-centered care

• person-centered

• person-centered care

• polarization

• political

• pollution

• pregnant people

• pregnant person

• pregnant persons

• prejudice

• privilege

• privileges

• promote diversity

• promoting diversity

• pronoun

• pronouns

• prostitute

• race

• race and ethnicity

• racial

• racial diversity

• racial identity

• racial inequality

• racial justice

• racially

• racism

• segregation

• sense of belonging

• sex

• sexual preferences

• sexuality

• social justice

• sociocultural

• socioeconomic

• status

• stereotype

• stereotypes

• systemic

• systemically

• they/them

• trans

• transgender

• transsexual

• trauma

• traumatic

• tribal

• unconscious bias

• underappreciated

• underprivileged

• underrepresentation

• underrepresented

• underserved

• undervalued

• victim

• victims

• vulnerable populations

• women

• women and underrepresented