The latest handbook for MLA include guidance on using inclusive language when discussing race,ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation,abilty,age and economic/ social status.
See pp. 89-93 in the MLA Handbook. Some of the best practices are listed below:
- Make references to identity relevant.
- Do not include terms that specify a subject's race or ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ability, age, or economic or social status unless it is meaningful to the context
- Reword gender-specific terms for gender neutrality. Example: Use "humankind" instead of "mankind".
- Avoid using gender-specific terms to refer to people.
- Choose terms of identity that respect your subject.
- Use people-first language. Example: Use phrases such as “person with a disability,” “individuals with disabilities,” as opposed to phrases that identify people based only on their disability, such as “the disabled.”
- Minimize pronouns that exclude
- Instead of writing "he or she" when discussing people in a context where the gender is not relevant, rewrite the sentence and not use pronouns.
- Use the preferred personal pronouns for individuals. "They" may be used in a singular sense if a single person's gender identity is non-binary.
- Don't assume that all individuals identify as male or female.
- Avoid negatively judging others' experiences
- Avoid language that can evoke emotions or inaccurate imagery. Example: Describing a person who uses a wheelchair as "wheelchair-bound"
- Use a dictionary to check for offensive terms
- Find a current dictionary to determine if a term is considered offensive before using it.
- If you are quoting a slur from a work you are writing about, don't repeat the slur as your own words. Instead you can add a dash after the first letter of a term to avoid using the full word in your paper.
