{"id":2414440,"date":"2025-03-24T05:30:02","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T09:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/italian-education-ministry-bans-gender-neutral-symbols\/"},"modified":"2025-03-24T05:30:02","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T09:30:02","slug":"italian-education-ministry-bans-gender-neutral-symbols","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/italian-education-ministry-bans-gender-neutral-symbols\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian education ministry bans gender-neutral symbols"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">12<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fitalian-education-ministry-bans-gender-neutral-symbols%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2414440&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Italian education ministry bans gender-neutral symbols in schools<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2062155\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/italy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Italy&rsquo;s Ministry of Education and Merit<\/a> is ordering schools to stop using gender-neutral symbols, citing their lack of coherence in the Italian language.<\/p>\n<p>The ministry issued a memorandum Friday outlining its opposition to symbols used to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gender\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">degender<\/a> Italian words, urging institutions to &ldquo;maintain the use of correct and accessible language&rdquo; in official communications.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3356494\/south-korean-court-overturns-impeachment-prime-minister-han\/\">South Korean court overturns impeachment of Prime Minister Han, reinstating him as acting president<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3354040\/mark-carney-snap-elections-canada-trudeau-successor\/\">Mark Carney calls for snap elections in Canada, seeks mandate as Trudeau successor<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3356273\/pope-francis-leaves-hospital-public-appearance-health\/\">Pope Francis leaves hospital after first public appearance in weeks<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;The Ministry of Education and Merit has sent a circular to all schools to reiterate that in official communications it is essential to respect the rules of the Italian language,&rdquo; ministry officials said in a memo. &ldquo;The use of non-compliant graphic signs, such as the asterisk (*) and the schwa (&#601;), is contrary to linguistic norms and risks compromising the clarity and uniformity of institutional communication.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends a roundtable meeting at an EU summit on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Brussels. (Olivier Hoslet, Pool Photo via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Italian language, like other Romance languages, uses gendered grammar patterns observable in aspects such as noun endings and the classification of words as &ldquo;masculine&rdquo; and &ldquo;feminine.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Novel symbols such as the asterisk and the schwa, an upside-down &ldquo;E,&rdquo; are used by Italian gender ideology activists to replace gendered endings such as the masculine &ldquo;O&rdquo; and the feminine &ldquo;A.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Use of these endings is rare, but advocates say they extend a sense of inclusion to &ldquo;nonbinary&rdquo; people, or those who are uncomfortable identifying with either sex.<\/p>\n<p>The same principle has been seen in the United States with the use of &ldquo;Latinx&rdquo; to avoid the gendered terms &ldquo;Latino&rdquo; and &ldquo;Latina.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Ministry of Education and Merit cited guidance from the Accademia della Crusca, the world&rsquo;s oldest linguistic academy, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mim.gov.it\/web\/guest\/-\/mim-circolare-alle-scuole-il-ministero-raccomanda-di-non-usare-simboli-nelle-comunicazioni-ufficiali-e-di-attenersi-alle-regole-della-lingua-italiana\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">in its statement<\/a>. The Florence-based institution is considered among the highest authorities on the proper use of the Italian language.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Accademia della Crusca has, in fact, repeatedly highlighted that [gender-neutral symbols] are not grammatically correct and that their use, especially in official documents, hinders the readability and accessibility of texts,&rdquo; ministry officials wrote.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The arbitrary use of these symbols introduces elements of ambiguity and inhomogeneity, making communication less comprehensible and less effective,&rdquo; the memo continues<\/p>\n<p>It is the latest cultural battlefield for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/giorgia-meloni\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni&rsquo;s<\/a> conservative government, which seeks to rout out more progressive trends that it believes countersignal Italian society and culture.<\/p>\n<p>Meloni&rsquo;s government has removed progressive executives from public arts and culture institutions across the country and replaced them with experts more celebratory of Italian heritage.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Her party, the Brothers of Italy, asserts that Italy&rsquo;s most valuable exports are not natural resources or raw materials but the peninsula&rsquo;s thousands of years of cultural achievements.<\/p>\n<p>The Brothers of Italy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/italy-proposed-law-bans-english-words-violators-may-face-fines-up-to-110k\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">consistently push bills<\/a> seeking to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/04\/01\/europe\/italian-government-penalize-english-words-intl\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">protect the Italian language<\/a> and cement its status as the country&rsquo;s only official language.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2062155\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2062155\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Italian education ministry bans gender-neutral symbols in schools Italy\u2019s Ministry of Education and Merit is ordering schools to stop using gender-neutral symbols, citing their lack of coherence in the Italian language. The ministry issued a memorandum Friday outlining its opposition to symbols used to degender Italian words, urging institutions to \u201cmaintain the use of correct<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3468,"featured_media":2414441,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/AP25079359679883.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2414440","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/AP25079359679883.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2414440","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3468"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2414440"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2414440\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2414441"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2414440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2414440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2414440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}