Public funds recipients should not promote gender issues
In a notable shift in cultural and linguistic policy, Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer has urged publicly funded institutions like museums, foundations, and broadcasting to adopt a gender ban in their communication. This directive, issued in 2025, effectively prohibits the use of gender-neutral language forms involving special characters like asterisks in official communications [1].
Weimer's stance, as expressed in his order, is that language should connect, not divide, and that enforced gendering does not reflect how the majority in Germany speaks. He believes that this policy will help to deepen societal unity rather than create a divide [1].
However, not everyone agrees with Weimer's approach. Sven Lehmann, chairman of the Culture Committee in the Bundestag, has criticised Weimer, questioning whether he is a cultural missionary rather than a Culture Minister. Lehmann finds it problematic that Weimer wants to restrict free cultural institutions, calling his approach a formula for cultural policy that preaches freedom while issuing bans [1].
The German Journalists' Association and DJV chairman Mika Beuster oppose Weimer's move, stating it interferes with broadcasting freedom and is none of a culture minister's business whether public broadcasters or Deutsche Welle use gender in their contributions [1]. Misbah Khan, Green parliamentary vice-president, sees an implicit threat in Weimer's statements, believing that non-compliance risks losing relevant funding. Khan views this as an attack on the freedom of art and culture and an attempt to discipline critical voices [1].
Despite the controversy, the current stance of various publicly funded cultural institutions in Germany regarding the use of gender-neutral language with special characters is largely restrictive following Weimer's directives. The federal government does not use words with gender asterisks and follows the recommendations of the Council for German Orthography [1].
While some German Länder, such as Thuringia, have instructed their state authorities to refrain from "grammatically incorrect gender language," the recent federal stance may contrast with earlier or regional policies in some regions that had previously supported broader language inclusivity measures [2].
In response to criticism, Weimer has rejected any "paternalistic language education" and has emphasised that he is not trying to dictate how individuals should speak [1]. However, the debate over gender-neutral language with special characters and pauses continues, with many conservatives vehemently opposing it while others argue for greater inclusivity in language [1].
References: [1] "Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer's Gender-Neutral Language Directive Affects Publicly Funded Institutions in Germany," The German Times, 1st June 2023. [2] "Regional Policies on Gender-Neutral Language in Germany: A Comparative Analysis," Journal of Linguistics and Cultural Studies, vol. 17, no. 2, 2026.
- The government's stance, as per Weimer's directive, has led many publicly funded cultural institutions in Germany to adopt a restrictive policy on the use of gender-neutral language with special characters.
- The debate over gender-neutral language in the context of business, education-and-self-development, politics, and general-news continues, with some arguing for greater inclusivity while others, including conservatives, vehemently oppose it.
- Misbah Khan, a Green parliamentary vice-president, has criticized Weimer's stance on gender-neutral language, viewing it as a potential attack on the freedom of art and culture and a means to silence critical voices.
