The University of Cardiff has banned a raft of words they consider to be demeaning and demoralising to women and other minorities. The bizarre claims surfaced this week after an article published in The Telegraph. Words which are prohibited by staff and students include manpower and sportsmanship.

According to the university, the restrictions have been put in place to promote fairness and equality through raising awareness about potentially discriminatory vocabulary.’

Heatstreet reports:

Students who use banned words and phrases could face discipline under the university’s bullying and harassment policy, while employees may also face repercussions.The Welsh school’s guidelines offer a litany of advice, warning students and staff to avoid gendered language. It specifically mentions dozens of words to avoid, also offering broad guidelines about how to talk about disabled or transgender people.’

While many schools have issued guidelines, Cardiff has taken the unnecessary step of threatening to penalize individuals under the institution’s anti-bullying policy.

This seems to be far from an isolated incident in the UK. Sussex University recently enforced what it calls an inclusive language policy – advising its staff to refrain from assuming the gender of the students and to communicate with them accordingly.