Lord Chancellor bans use of word “homosexual” - from Pink News - all the latest gay news from the gay community

Lord Chancellor bans use of word "homosexual"

By Marc Shoffman • April 24, 2006 - 0:00

Lord Falconer has ordered for the word to be removed on the grounds that it “may be considered offensive”

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The Lord Chancellor is facing accusations of political correctness after banning the word "homosexual" from official documents in his department.

Lord Falconer has ordered for the word to be removed on the grounds that it "may be considered offensive."

The ban comes after a report commissioned by the Department for Constitutional Affairs to analyse how well diversity rules are obeyed when selecting judges.

Academics from the Queen Mary college compiled the report and concluded, "It is important to recognise that the term homosexuality is considered inappropriate by many gays and lesbians today."

They claimed that gay charity Stonewall regards the word as derogatory, "It originates from a medical definition when same-sex attraction was construed as mental illness.' The report said "it should no longer be used in official documentation. Stonewall recommends that 'lesbian, gay and bisexual' is a more appropriate term."

A spokesman for Lord Falconer's Department for Constitutional Affairs told the Mail on Sunday, "The equal opportunities statement in the guide to applicants has been changed to reflect good practice in line with the recommendation in the report."

The wording has been changed to ask for applications from "people in those groups which are currently represented in relatively small numbers."

It previously said "the Lord Chancellor pays no regard to sexual orientation and has made it clear that homosexuality is not a bar to appointments'.

David Conway of the Civitas think tank told the paper, "I am offended that the homosexual lobby has appropriated the use of the word gay. But no one listens to me, or to anyone else who complains that they can no longer use the word because it has been taken over by a single issue group.

"This is a word game that can go on for ever. It's another wrong turn over political correctness by a Government which has made many."

Other disallowed terms include immigrant, Asian, man and wife, mixed race, West Indian and asylum seeker.

A spokesman from Stonewall told PinkNews.co.uk the group has never said the term "homosexual" should never be used, "We usually say the accepted best practice is to use the words lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender instead of homosexual which doesn't directly describe the people."

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