✎ Google's Missing Letter
A project to bring inclusive language to historically marginalized and ignored non-binary, genderqueer and intersex people.
Written Into History
Millions of gender non-conforming (GNC) people across the world speak a language that only has words for men and women. You’re “un doctor” in Spanish (masculine), or “l’ actrice” in French (feminine). Queer people have always existed and yet, because of this simple linguistic norm, they’ve been excluded from history for centuries.
The MISSING LETTER
By adding a single letter, æ, to gendered-language alphabets like Spanish, French, German, and Italian, we made it so anyone can write about anyone. A genderqueer doctor can go by “doctoræ” in Spanish if they want.
IN COLLABORATION WITH an “ALPHABET” COMPANY
We made the letter æ available in Google Search and Apps because they encapsulate the most widely-used written communication tools available today.
A CUSTOM KEYBOARD
You can now type æ by holding down your “a” key on any device, in almost any software. But we also gave it a permanent spot on a custom keyboard for a special reason.
a POSTERZINE®: Let History Say Thæ Exist
We sent our keyboard to GNC people across the globe and asked them to write about themselves. We put their stories onto a Posterzine® and distributed it globally across 30 cities and placed it in renowned libraries, turning it into a permanent historical artifact. All to say, for once and for all, “Queer people exist; here’s proof for the record.”
The Results
Our campaign reached 32.5 million people in total, generating 1.5 million social impressions. We challenged linguistic norms, and most importantly, we provided a tool for GNC people and their allies to promote inclusivity in daily life, from schools to workplaces and public platforms.