BC removes words 'he', 'she', 'himself', and 'herself' from regulations

"Outdated gendered language" has been removed or updated from 138 British Columbia regulations so far in 2022, the Vancouver Sun reports.

Words that have been removed include "he," "she," "himself," "herself," and even words such as "father," "aunt," and "son" in some instances, the BC government says.

"Using inclusive language wherever we can doesn’t just remove barriers to services, it also protects people’s rights," parliamentary secretary for gender equity Grace Lore said.

"It’s a way for government to make life a bit easier for the thousands of British Columbians who face unnecessary barriers due to outdated language and to help address gender bias."

The changes were made under the Better Regulations for British Columbians, and also changed non-gendered terms, such as the switch from "substance abuse" to substance use."

Litigation director for the Catherine White Holman Wellness Centre’s All-Genders Legal Clinic Adrienne Smith said the changes were made to be more inclusive to trans people.

“These changes help two-spirit, trans and nonbinary people recognize themselves in the law,” Smith said.“My community has spent decades trying to get lawmakers to recognize us in words like ‘parent’ and ‘spouse’. To have government undertake this update to regulations shows that we matter and we have been heard.”