ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Abilene City Councilmembers can expect some new inclusive language in the City Charter. Since it was last updated in the 1960s, masculine language has been used.

The City of Abilene’s Propositions C and D were fairly narrowly approved by voters on Election Day Tuesday, November 8.

City of Abilene Proposition C – passed 53% to 47%
Shall the City Charter of the City of Abilene be amended throughout to replace the words “he,” “his” and “him” with the words “he or she,” “his or her,” and “him or her?”
City of Abilene Proposition D – passed 59% to 41%
Shall the City Charter of the City of Abilene be amended throughout to replace the words “Councilman” and “Councilmen” with the words “Councilmember” and “Councilmembers?”

Although the use of “Councilmember” and “he/she” language will now be used in the City Charter, Abilene’s Mayor Anthony Williams said in August that the updates will stop there. While the language is more gender inclusive, he said it recognizes a two-gender system of man and woman.