Being president is now the law.
It's in the Official Gazette of the Union: Law No. 12.605, of April 3, 2012, mandates the obligatory use of gender inflection to name professions or degrees in diplomas; *médico* becomes *médica*, *engenheiro* becomes *engenheiro*; *dentista* becomes *dentisto*?
247 Since taking office at the Palácio do Planalto, President Dilma Rousseff has been politely requesting that media outlets refer to her as "presidenta" (female president). Some have embraced the new spelling, others have not. However, the freedom to choose gender inflection – even in words that don't require inflection, such as "presidente" (president) – has gained a limit this week. The Official Gazette of the Union published a law that obliges "Public and private educational institutions" to issue "diplomas and certificates with the gender inflection corresponding to the sex of the person receiving the diploma, when designating the profession and the degree obtained."
Law No. 12.605, of April 3, 2012, also stipulates that "Persons who have already graduated may request from the institutions referred to in Article 1 the free reissuance of their diplomas, with the necessary corrections, according to the regulations of the respective education system." On the Planalto Palace website, the text informing of the decision states that "Technician, administrator, and librarian are some examples of the spellings of professions that should be used when referring to a female graduate."
The legislation is a victory for those who believe in the power of reinforcing female advancement through linguistics, but it may generate some doubts when issuing diplomas. After all, does the inflection also apply to the masculine? From now on, will a dentist, for example, become "dentisto"?
The law, as published, is as follows:
The President of the Republic hereby announces that the National Congress decrees and I sanction the following Law:
Article 1. Public and private educational institutions shall issue diplomas and certificates with the gender inflection corresponding to the sex of the person receiving the diploma, when designating the profession and degree obtained.
Article 2. Individuals who have already graduated may request from the institutions referred to in Article 1 the free reissuance of their diplomas, with the necessary corrections, according to the regulations of the respective education system.
Article 3. This Law shall enter into force on the date of its publication.
Brasilia, April 3, 2012; 191st year of Independence and 124th year of the Republic.
DILMA ROUSSEFF
Merchant Aloizio
Eleonora Menicucci de Oliveira