Volunteers for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games are being told to use gender-neutral words to avoid causing offense. The eighty-eight page training guide says, “swapping gendered words for gender-neutral ones can make everyone feel inclusive, this also demonstrates our understanding that not everyone identifies as heterosexual or cisgender.”

Gender specific titles, such as mother, father, boyfriend, girlfriend, policeman and police woman, are to be avoided and replaced with gender neutral titles, like parent, partner and police officer. The document, which was handed to 15,000 volunteers, goes on to say:

“We can avoid using words like: guys, girls, ladies, gentlemen, and instead use words like student, everyone, folks, all, etc.”

The handbook also suggests that transgendered people should be encouraged to use the bathroom of their choice.

Opposition Commonwealth Games spokesman, John-Paul Langbroek, told The Sunday Mail, “This is political correctness gone insane. We have everyone willing to take offense at every little thing that people say. It makes it really hard for well-meaning volunteers who would be on edge worried about every word they say to every group they meet. It’s very frustrating.”

We would have to agree with the late Christopher Hitchens who once said, “Those who are determined to be offended will discover a provocation somewhere. We cannot possibly adjust enough to please the fanatics, and it is degrading to make the attempt.”