Contra Costa County will be updating its main governing document to do away with using gender-specific pronouns throughout it. Leaders of the East Bay jurisdiction also plan to implement a similar update to various documents used by the countywide government.
The moves come after the county's five-member Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to make the changes at its December 3 meeting. The code language updates will take effect January 2.
According to the county, 841 instances of gender-specific pronouns were identified across more than 1,300 pages of its ordinance code, which governs areas such as health and safety, administration, and land use. The language in it was last comprehensively reviewed when it was recodified in 1970.
Terms such as "he" will be replaced with neutral descriptors like "the department head," ensuring the code is inclusive and representative of all residents. The more generic "they" will also be substituted for terms like "him" and "her."
"Contra Costa County is a community for all, and our policies should reflect our dedication to serving everyone," stated board Chair and District 5 Supervisor Federal Glover. "By updating the County Ordinance Code, we're delivering on our commitment to create meaningful change that benefits all residents."
Also supportive of the change in pronouns was gay District 4 Supervisor Ken Carlson. The former Pleasant Hill city councilmember is the first LGBTQ community leader elected to the county board.
"I'm proud to support this change to the ordinance code, as it reflects our commitment to fostering acceptance and inclusivity for everyone in Contra Costa County," stated Carlson.
The code language review was led by the County Administrator's Office in partnership with the County Counsel's Office with advice from the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice. The next planned step is drafting a policy to mandate the use of gender-neutral language in all county policies and procedures, both existing and future, to be brought forward in 2025.
"We are changing our county ordinances to reflect today's reality and removing gender references turns the page on a practice that has no place in county policy," noted District 1 Supervisor John Gioia, chair of the board's Equity Committee.
Other jurisdictions
Various local jurisdictions in the Bay Area have taken similar policy stances in recent years. Three years ago, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to require the use of gender-inclusive language in all new county ordinances, resolutions, and proclamations.
It followed San Francisco Mayor London Breed's 2018 executive order requiring all agencies and departments for the dual city and county to update their forms to use gender-neutral labels such as "parent/guardian" instead of "father" and "mother."
As the Bay Area Reporter noted in its coverage of the mayoral directive, which took effect immediately, the forms also had to include additional choices for pronouns other than just she/her/hers and he/him/his. The documents also had to add the option of nonbinary in addition to male and female when asking about gender identity.
In 2019, the city of Berkeley adopted a gender-neutral language provision for its government forms. Local ballot measures requiring the use of gender-neutral language in the city charters for Oakland and San Jose were passed by voters in the November 2022 election.
As far back as 1974, California voters had passed the statewide ballot measure Proposition 11 to require gender-neutral language in the State Charter. More recently, state lawmakers have passed various bills to excise gender-specific language in various state laws and codes.
In 2021, gay state Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) saw the enactment of his Senate Bill 272 updating "archaic gender-specific pronouns" used in the state's vehicle code to refer to the California Highway Patrol commissioner following the appointment of a woman to the position. His bill also required a similar pronoun update to the state's insurance code.
Governor Gavin Newsom that year had also signed into law Assembly Bill 378 carried by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) that required a systematic review of laws related to the offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state controller, treasurer, insurance commissioner, and Board of Equalization to ensure all references to the gender of the officer were gender neutral. At the time, most parts of the state codes referred to the constitutional office holders as only "he" or "him."
Another bill passed by then-assemblymember Mark Stone in 2017 updated the state's Fair Employment and Housing Act to use gender-inclusive language, such as "person" or "employee" instead of "he" or "she." This fall, Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 1899 by lesbian then-Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (D-Corona), who was just sworn in this month to a state Senate seat, that requires jury questionnaires used by state courts as of January 1, 2026, to be "inclusive" and allow "a juror the ability to express their gender identity or gender expression, if applicable."
The steps being taken by Contra Costa County officials on pronoun usage are part of their ongoing efforts to modernize the language they use in order to reflect the diversity of the community.
"Removing gender-specific pronouns from the County Ordinance Code reflects Contra Costa County's dedication to fairness and modernizing our practices," stated County Administrator Monica Nino. "This change ensures our policies and language honor the diversity of our community and promote dignity and respect for all."
The Political Notes column is taking a holiday hiatus. It will return in 2025 on Monday, January 13.
Keep abreast of the latest LGBTQ political news by following the Political Notebook on Threads @ https://www.threads.net/@matthewbajko and on Bluesky @ https://bsky.app/profile/politicalnotes.bsky.social.
Got a tip on LGBTQ politics? Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 829-8836 or email [email protected]
Never miss a story! Keep up to date on the latest news, arts, politics, entertainment, and nightlife.
Sign up for the Bay Area Reporter's free weekday email newsletter. You'll receive our newsletters and special offers from our community partners.
Support California's largest LGBTQ newsroom. Your one-time, monthly, or annual contribution advocates for LGBTQ communities. Amplify a trusted voice providing news, information, and cultural coverage to all members of our community, regardless of their ability to pay -- Donate today!