A training guide for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games that advises volunteers to use gender neutral language when addressing visitors has been labelled as "political correctness gone mad".

Queensland's Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington has been highly critical of the document which suggests volunteers use inclusive language towards visitors rather than gender-based terms.

The guidelines say they are designed "to create an inclusive Games for all to enjoy".

"Swapping gendered words for gender-natural ones can make everyone feel included, this also demonstrates our understanding that not everyone identifies as heterosexual or cisgender," the document reads.

Examples include avoiding gender specific job titles such as policeman/policewoman and instead using police officer.

Volunteers are also asked to consider using 'parent' instead of mother or father and 'partner' instead of girlfriend or boyfriend.

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

The training also states that trans people should be able to use a toilet of their choice.

"If you are not sure if someone is male or female direct them to male, female and accessible toilet facilities."

Commonwealth Games Chief Executive Officer Mark Peters said it was not compulsory for volunteers to read or adopt the training document.

"We're just trying to give them guidelines without scaring them," he said.

Mr Peters said the training guidelines were developed after consultation with previous Commonwealth Games hosts.

"Glasgow addressed this, London ... they put out some very specific information around a whole lot of these issues," he said.

"You take what they do and how it worked, and they had a great volunteer program. It worked really well."

Mr Peters said the guide was about making sure volunteers and visitors feel comfortable during their interactions at the Games.

"Can you get it wrong? Not if you've got a smile and a friendly face and you're genuinely trying to help people," he said.

"But if you can avoid situations that they may feel uncomfortable in, then why not do it?"



But Ms Frecklington said Queenslanders were unique and should not be dictated to by organisers.

"I think Queenslanders are wonderful people and they can use their own common sense when they are talking to our foreign visitors," she said.

"I think as long as they are respectful, our volunteers need to be allowed to be that — volunteers."

"I'm someone who has grown up in the ways of treating people with respect by saying 'good morning ladies and gentlemen', I just don't think they should be dictated to in relation to these terms."

Ms Frecklington admitted she had not read the training guide in its entirety.

"I've seen a couple of the excerpts from it am I've obviously seen what's been printed in the paper today," she said.

"This is lefty overreach."

The guide has received a mixed response on social media, with many defending the inclusive intent of the training, while others believe it is over the top and unnecessary.

On Twitter, Noley said gender neutral language training was common at large tourism events and theme parks to avoid stuff ups.

Organisers of the Commonwealth Games, which are being held in April, have been contacted for comment.

One of the other guidelines asks volunteers to not take selfies with athletes.

"Certainly they have to respect our sport stars and I'm quite sure our volunteers can use their common sense in that regard," Ms Frecklington said.

Ms Frecklington said people expect their politicians to be honest.

"I think that when we get to this crazy political correctness, that is exactly why people are turning off the political spectrum," she said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-07/commonwealth-games-training-politically-co...

I wouldn't expect anything less from the Tuckshop Lady and her merry band of fkkwits.


If they are not out destroying jobs in the north they're making a laughing stock of our state.

Four more years of Labor
.

Its time wrote on Jan 7^th, 2018 at 3:11pm:




4 more years of fkkheaded decisions and job destroying behaviours will render QLD the basket case state of Australia, even Taswegia will be laughing at us.



And you fkkheaded labor voters are fully to blame, well done

Its time wrote on Jan 7^th, 2018 at 3:38pm:



Yep says it all!

FARQUIT! 

Should have voted for Pauline - she would put a cane toad on every table.

The utterly corrupt unions are still in control of Qld.

Wonder when she will start closing down the coal power stations and follow SA as another blackout state ?

And the Greenies want to turn ALL of Nth Qld into one huge National Park where ONLY animals and birds are allowed.

Whites will be strictly BANNED.

Dark People will be suffered ONLY if they adopt a subsistence style of life living off the land instead of Welfare.


Puppets.

Anny Pally is a puppet of the unions

Bull S,. is a puppet of the unions

Tony Abbott is a puppet of the Catholic Church.

I do...and this is crap.

Its time wrote on Jan 7^th, 2018 at 4:01pm:



So you're just a mean lefty grub who wishes bad things on the people of QLD by celebrating that filth's win?

Nice to know.

I wouldn't wish our misfortune of 4 more years of the Tuckshop Lady on anyone not even during State of Origin.


'

Gee the imposter Labor "govts" are dragging so many of our states down into the Socialist gutter.

When next? No mens or womens underwear? No mens or womens clothing? This truly is absurd.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Jan 7^th, 2018 at 6:05pm:


Where did the term come from?

Well you were warned by Tony Abbott that this sort of Greeny stuff would follow if you voted YES for the SSM.

You see the Extreme Activist Greenies see the SSM YES vote as a green light to freely attack every aspect of Australian society that they HATE so much and want to change.

So all those Lefties that voted YES have caused this situation to occur.  Can't those Lefties do ANYTHING right err correctly ?

Aussie wrote on Jan 7^th, 2018 at 6:19pm:



University educated socialists who have a sh1t load of spare time due to the simpleton type courses they choose.


Remember the good old days when socialist fkkheads were ignored or derided for their stupid ideology, I really miss those days.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Jan 7^th, 2018 at 3:02pm:


If you think "gender neutral" is garbage wait 'til you see some one claiming to be a "Non Binary Transgender Woman" ...



BigOl64 wrote on Jan 8^th, 2018 at 8:02am:


BigOl64 the good old days ... Dude eat a Snickers you'r having a Grandpa Simpson moment.

Unless your over 127 years old!

Cereal Killer wrote on Mar 13^th, 2018 at 2:13am:



Yeah try about 10 - 15 years ago fkkhead, 


Come back when you get you big boy pants little man.