Woke words: PC bastion Berkeley adopts gender-neutral city code, ‘manpower’ becomes ‘human effort’

In the latest politically correct escalation of the ongoing culture war in the US, Berkeley City Council voted unanimously to remove gender-specific words and phrases from its municipal code on Tuesday.

“Language has power. The words we use are important,” 23-year-old council member Rigel Robinson, author of the proposed changes, said. “It’s not only timely, but necessary to make sure that our laws really speak for everyone.”

As part of the politically correct purge of offending, gendered language within the city’s municipal code, a “manhole” will now become “maintenance hole,” “craftsmen” are now “artisans,” “heirs” are “beneficiaries,” and “manpower” will now be classified as “human effort.”

Over two dozen commonly used expressions will be changed under the new guidelines, which will replace the previous municipal code that predominantly used “he” (which has now been replaced with “they”). The ordinance does not yet include a timeline for compliance, or any penalties for failure to comply, though the council will hold a second reading next Tuesday. 

The cost of the changes is reportedly $600. 

“If it makes the city happy, I guess they can go ahead. They can change it to maintenance hole. I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt anybody,” said Erin Davis of Berkley. 

“Gender-neutral language creates a lot of room to acknowledge that it’s not just men running the country,” said Robinson, who submitted the proposal back in March. As expected, many online bemoaned the perceived waste of time and city resources. 

Some described the move as “equal measures childish, pompous, prudish, self-righteous, narcissistic, and insane,” while others argued that city hall must have “a lot of spare time on their hands dreaming up ways to be politically correct.”

Others still couldn’t resist a bit of mockery and tongue-in-cheek wordplay, proposing that “Poker is now known as Pokit. Liquor is now Liqthem. Hershey is now Themthey.”

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