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A newsletter<\/a> distributed to Intelligence Community (IC) officials discussed \u201clanguage guidelines for how we talk about the People\u2019s Republic of China.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis work is paving the way for other groups to change language style guides and shift our work culture to talk, write, and think about foreign governments and entities in a way that is more nuanced and rooted in evidence,\u201d the newsletter\u2019s editor-in-chief wrote.<\/p>\n One of the newsletter\u2019s articles focused on \u201cdisentangling Islam from words and phrases used to discuss terrorism and extremist violence.\u201d<\/p>\n Some of the \u201cproblematic phrases\u201d surrounding Islam include \u201cSalafi-Jihadist,\u201d \u201cJihadist,\u201d \u201cIslamic-Extremist,\u201d \u201cSunni\/Shia-Extremism,\u201d and \u201cRadical Islamists.\u201d Such terminology \u201cincorrectly suggest that Islamic beliefs somehow condone the actions and rhetoric espoused by these foreign terrorist organizations,\u201d the article read.<\/p>\n In another article titled \u201cLinguistics Diversity: A Reflection of Who We Are,\u201d the author called for the removal of the terms, \u201cblacklisted,\u201d \u201ccakewalk,\u201d brown bag,\u201d \u201cgrandfathered\u201d and \u201csanity check.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBlacklisted\u201d is a negative term because it \u201cimplies black is bad and white is good,\u201d whereas \u201csanity check\u201d is a poor term because it suggests those with \u201cmental illness are inferior, wrong, or incorrect.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCakewalk,\u201d \u201cbrown bag,\u201d and \u201cgrandfathered\u201d should not be used, according to the article, because they are racist terms.<\/p>\n One article also relayed an anonymous individual\u2019s experience as a cross-dressing intelligence officer.<\/p>\n \u201cI am an intelligence officer, and I am a man who likes to wear women\u2019s clothes sometimes,\u201d the individual wrote. \u201cI think my experiences as someone who crossdresses have sharpened the skills I use as an intelligence officer.\u201d The author specifically cited \u201ccritical thinking\u201d and \u201cperspective-taking\u201d as \u201csharpened\u201d skills.<\/p>\n Because of his cross-dressing, the article notes, the intelligence officer is better at \u201cunderstanding foreign actors,\u201d \u201cunderstanding clandestine assets and their motivations,\u201d more supportive of his female colleagues, and is \u201chopefully supporting\u201d his colleagues identifying as LGBTQ.<\/p>\n The push for \u201cinclusive\u201d language and experience echoes a 2021 executive order where Biden promoted \u201cdiversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs the Nation\u2019s largest employer, the Federal Government must be a model for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, where all employees are treated with dignity and respect,\u201d the executive order<\/a> read. \u201cAccordingly, the Federal Government must strengthen its ability to recruit, hire, develop, promote, and retain our Nation\u2019s talent and remove barriers to equal opportunity. It must also provide resources and opportunities to strengthen and advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility across the Federal Government.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n