Students at one university in Pennsylvania are being threatened that “action could be taken” against them if they don’t address classmates by their preferred pronouns or preferred name.
The Office of Equity and Inclusion at Point Park University (PPU) notified incoming students of its “Misgendering, Pronoun Misuse, and Deadnaming Policy” in an email obtained by Campus Reform. If you’re not aware of what “deadnaming” is, it means using someone’s legal name instead of the new name they’ve decided to use.
The policy states that “any individual who has been informed of another person’s gender identity, pronouns, or chosen name is expected to respect that individual.”
The Preferred Name Policy in the university’s handbook permits a student or faculty member to use their preferred name rather than their legal name. Everyone else on campus is instructed to then oblige the person’s gender and name preferences.
“While the University recognizes the aspect of intent versus impact, we must recognize that regardless of the intent, if an individual is impacted in a harmful way, action could be taken if a complaint is filed,” the email reads.
Additionally, a guide was included that outlines why it’s important to use “gender-inclusive language” to prevent “trans and gender non-conforming folks to feel isolated.”
It also suggests changing “boyfriend/girlfriend” to “partner,” “ladies and gentlemen” to “students and guests,” and “he or she” to “they.”
Louis Corsaro, managing director of marketing and public relations at PPU, told Campus Reform that “Point Park University expects every member of its community – students, faculty and staff – to treat each other with respect.”
But not everyone agrees with the new school policy, contending that it violates their own rights.
Logan Dubil, Campus Reform contributor and a student at PPU, told Fox News that the guidelines “go against many students’ belief systems, especially conservative students.”
“Personally, I believe in the science. There are two sexes and two genders: male and female,” Dubil said. “The policies in question force me to go against my beliefs. The fact that I can be disciplined by failing to follow policies that violate my conscience is concerning.”
Cherise Trump, executive director of Speech First, said pushing students “to profess beliefs against their will is inconsistent with the freedom of thought and expression that the university claims to promote.”
“The university has prioritized students’ feelings over their rights and has turned some students into second-class citizens as a result,” Trump added.
Exactly what type of “action” could be taken against students who violate the policy is unknown.
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