The use of gender-neutral language in Spanish political discourse

Abstract

Recently in Spain, the considerations about gender-neutral language (lenguaje inclusivo in Spanish) are constantly being brought to the public discourse. Despite the fact that the Royal Spanish Academy, the official arbiter of the Spanish language, does not accept the use of gender-neutral language, many left-wing politicians are using it, especially new political formations that arose after the Great Recession of 2008. The aim of this study is to analyze if politicians adapt their use of gender-neutral language according to formal and informal situations and the moment in which the speeches took place. The research mainly focuses on the discourses of Podemos and PSOE’s members in formal (parliament sessions) and informal (TV programmes) settings. The core of the issue lies in the traditional Spanish use of male pronouns and noun forms to refer to both genders collectively.