A U.S. government initiative that uses taxpayer funds to promote ethical journalism in Sri Lanka has introduced a campaign aimed at educating journalists on the importance of using gender pronouns and steering clear of “binary-gendered language.”
The program, called Media Empowerment for a Democratic Sri Lanka (MEND), is financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). In recent weeks, the project has released at least four educational materials addressing gender and other LGBTQ-related topics.
On Thursday, MEND shared a presentation titled “Gender Pronouns” on its Facebook page. This presentation encourages Sri Lankan journalists to avoid making assumptions about a person’s gender identity or pronouns and to apologize if they misgender someone. It also advises that individuals should “normalize the sharing of gender pronouns by actively sharing your own” and recommends refraining from using gendered phrases like “ladies and gentlemen.”
“Using the correct pronoun when talking to someone is a way of showing your respect to the other person’s gender identity,” the presentation explains. “Those who do not conform to the gender identities assigned by society and do not fit into the binary genders can face uncomfortable situations when interacting with others when they are referred to by the wrong pronoun.”
On October 13, MEND published another presentation titled “What is Gender Expression?” This material emphasizes that a person’s gender identity should not be inferred based on physical traits or appearance.
“Gender is a social, psychological, and cultural construct. It is developed in the process of socialization,” the presentation states. “Gender is not necessarily defined by biological sex: gender is more about identity, and how we feel about ourselves. People that do not exclusively identify as male or female are often grouped under the umbrella terms, ‘non-binary,’ or ‘genderqueer,’ but the range of gender identifications is unlimited.”
The campaign, which focuses on concepts such as gender pronouns and gender-inclusive language, has been publicized through MEND’s social media channels, including a Facebook post on October 7 titled “What are Gender Roles?” This presentation offers advice on avoiding gender-based stereotypes in children, suggesting that both boys and girls be given a variety of toys, such as trucks, dolls, action figures, and building blocks.
Another presentation released in September provides guidelines for using “LGBTQ+ sensitive language in reporting.” It instructs Sri Lankan journalists not to use phrases like “born a girl” or “born a boy,” recommending instead the term “sex assigned at birth.” One example provided is: “Ravi is a transgender man.” The document advises against saying, “Ravi was born a woman.”
“Improve accuracy by asking your subjects about their preferred pronouns,” the presentation advises.
USAID first established the MEND initiative in August 2017, with an expected total budget of $7.9 million. According to the grant details available on USASpending.gov, the program was intended to continue through at least April 14, 2023. The most recent USAID payment for MEND, amounting to $1.91 million, was made on May 17, 2021. The initiative is administered by the International Research & Exchanges Board.
A USAID representative told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that the MEND project “has reached over 24,000 Sri Lankan citizens through media literacy activities to help Sri Lankans access balanced, reliable, and objective news.”
“MEND works to improve media organizations’ internal management and operations; strengthen journalists’ capacity to provide informed, impartial, and ethical reporting on key policy issues; and help the media to serve as a forum for national dialogue,” the spokesperson added.
{Matzav.com}