Grantham Town Councillor Rob Shorrock argues ‘chairperson’ should be used instead of ‘chairman’ during meeting
A councillor raised concerns in a meeting that gender neutral terms should be used for positions.
As Councillor Marie Reid, vice chair of Grantham Town Council, was introducing an agenda item in a meeting on Monday (June 3), she was stopped mid-conversation by Councillor Rob Shorrock.
Coun Shorrock raised the issue that Coun Tim Harrison was referred to as ‘chairman’ and not ‘chairperson’, which Coun Shorrock said was “passed as a standing order” in the last meeting on May 14.
In reply to Coun Harrison, Coun Shorrock said: “It is chairperson. Every time you mention chairman I am going to pick you up on it.
“The standing orders say chairperson and that is what we agreed.”
When the town council clerk then confirmed ‘chair’ was agreed by councillors to be used, Coun Shorrock continued his argument.
He said: “What we are trying to do is get rid of the assumption that’s built into these terms that anyone who chairs a meeting is a man.
“So, if you continue to use the term chairman you are not using a gender neutral term.
“This is one of the reasons why we talked about it in the last meeting and made sure we were following the models that are there.
“To use the term chairperson is to make those positions gender neutral, that is the point behind it.
“It’s not about being a man, it’s about responsibility and that in a meeting you conduct the business of the meeting.
“So, effectively it is chairperson or chair.”
Do you think councillors should use gender neutral terms? Let us know in the comments.
