Marine Corps Considers Ban on “Sir” and “Ma’am” to Avoid “Misgendering Superiors”

A University of Pittsburgh report commissioned by the US Marine Corps has recommended that recruits refrain from using gendered language, such as “sir” or “ma’am” when referring to superiors as it may “misgender” them.

The report suggested that recruits should instead use a superior’s title or last name when addressing them, or simply “drill instructor.”

“Gendered identifiers prime recruits to think about or visually search for a drill instructor’s gender first, before their rank or role,” the report suggested.

The authors suggested that gender-neutral identifiers are “an unambiguous, impartial way to circumvent these issues,” and that their use “eliminates the possibility of misgendering drill instructors, which can unintentionally offend or cause discord.

“By teaching recruits to use gender-neutral identifiers for their drill instructors,” they argue, “services underscore the importance of respecting authoritative figures regardless of gender.”

As the Marine Corps Times reports, the Corps has the lowest percentage of female service members of all armed forces branches, and training materials often use exclusively male pronouns when describing recruits.

Col. Howard Hall, chief of staff for Marine Corps Training and Education Command, said earlier this month that the proposal was being considered by the Corps’ leadership team, but noted that it would “take some effort” to change the longstanding practice.

“It’s not something we would change overnight,” he added, noting that “we’ve got a long history of “sir, ma’am, sir, ma’am.”

Other branches of the armed forces, including the Army, Navy, and Coast Guard, have already done away with most gendered language, with recruits referring to superiors by their titles and last names.

Within the Marine Corps, the active duty members, known as the fleet, follow a similar practice.