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Theaters Are Replacing ‘Ladies And Gentlemen’ With Gender-Neutral Greetings

If you're anywhere near as big of a theater fan as me, you'll know that every single tiny little detail of a live theater experience has been curated for an audience through years of tradition. Like, if you haven't creepily lived in the basement of the Globe Theatre in England for the entirety of your four-month run in Phantom Of The Opera are you even a real theater fan?

One of the things that audiences are accustomed to hearing are traditional theater greetings.

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If you've ever been to a play or musical theater performance, you'll know that it's pretty typical to hear a greeter say "Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Welcome to [insert name of theater here]"

Honestly, I don't think I've ever been to a theater where they didn't say that before the show began. It's just part of their regular introduction process.

However, 'Ladies And Gentlemen' won't apply to all audience members.

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Non-binary folks aren't ladies or gentlemen. A lot of non-binary people use they/them/theirs pronouns to reflect their gender identity and alleviate dysphoria. When social language is gendered for the sake of being gendered (you need gendered language at a doctor's office; you don't need it at a theater) it has the ability to make non-binary people feel as if they are not welcome.

The National Theatre in the U.K. has announced that it will be implementing gender neutral language in its greetings.

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Equity UK recently released a set of guidlines that U.K. theaters must follow regarding anti-discriminatory language in their facilities. According to The Sunday Times, The National Theatre's greeting change is simply working in accordance with said guidelines.

"Ladies and Gentlemen' will simply be replaced by "Welcome Everyone" or "Good Evening."

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"We do not use 'ladies and gentlemen' back of house," a spokesperson for The National Theatre explained, "and this is being phased out in our front-of-house announcements."

Nimax Theatres co-owner Nica Burns explained that theater should be an inclusive space.

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"Coming to the theater is a shared and communal experience in one single auditorium," Burns explained, "and we want to please our audience and give them a great evening. We wouldn't want anyone to feel offended or annoyed."

The new policies also effect how LGBTQ+ stage actors are treated within a company.

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"Avoid backhanded compliments or 'advice' regarding appearance, clothing, voice quality, identity or the performer being 'brave'," the guidelines state. "It is hard for trans actors to build a career out of the very small amount of trans-specific roles if these are the only roles for which they are actively sought."

Equity LGBT+ is ecstatic about the new changes.

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"We are really excited about launching our guide," explained committee member Tigger Blaize. "It's designed to be a toolkit of ideas, encouraging industry professionals to feel confident in approaching performers who identify as LGBT+ if they were previously unsure."

h/t: The Sunday Times