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Staff at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra have been [requested / requesting] to avoid the use of certain words related [to / for] gender. ANU's Gender Institute issued a list [at / of] replacement terms for everyday words like 'mother' and 'father'. The switch in vocabulary is part of an [initiation / initiative] to encourage more gender-neutral language. Staff are [being / been] asked to use the term 'gestational parent' instead of mother, and 'non-birthing parent' [in / on] place of father. The institute's gender handbook [claiming / claims] the words 'mother' and 'father' exclude non-binary people. These are people who [identify / identity] as being neither male nor female. Non-binary people feel unrepresented [on / in] society because of words that [refer / defer] to males and females.

The gender handbook explains the [suggestive / suggested] nomenclature guidelines. It says: "While many students will identify [has / as] 'mothers' or 'fathers,' using these terms [lonely / alone] to describe parenthood [exudes / excludes] those who do not identify [without / with] gender-binaries." It added: "This non-gendered language is [particular / particularly] important in...discussions of childbirth and parenthood." An ANU spokesperson said the handbook was [just / adjust] a guide. It said: "This document is not an official ANU policy....It is a guide developed [of / by] expert researchers to assist anyone committed to [enhancing / enhances] inclusiveness and diversity." Last week, a UK university asked its staff to [substitute / alternative] the word 'chestfeeding' for 'breastfeeding'.