The University of Colorado Boulder’s Center for Inclusion and Social Change has released directions that suggest people should assume everyone is transgender until instructed otherwise, according to The Washington Free Beacon.
The center advises people to never assume they know someone else’s gender, and to use gender neutral pronouns until instructed otherwise, the Free Beacon reported. The guidelines also encourage the use of words such as “ze”, “zir”, and “hir” as pronouns. (RELATED TO: LGBT Activists Light Pro-Transgender Display At Brigham Young University)
“If you don’t know someone’s pronouns, don’t assume gendered pronouns and use gender-neutral ones, like they or ze,” the guidelines read.
To use someone’s preferred pronouns is to “respect their identity,” according to the university. Those who opt to not use “preferred” pronouns when asked are committing “oppression” and “an act of violence,” according to the guidelines. The University of Colorado also states it is “never safe to assume someone’s gender,” and those who go by pronouns consistent with their biological sex are enjoying “privilege that not everyone experiences.”
Beyond parody:
“Colorado’s top public university says that people should address new acquaintances as transgender until otherwise instructed and that ignoring someone’s pronouns is ‘an act of violence.’” https://t.co/nfDSK9xsJd
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) May 12, 2023
The university also encourages people to introduce themselves with their preferred pronouns so, “everyone you meet knows that you’re a safe space and that you won’t assume a person’s pronouns.” The guide argues that although it is acceptable to ask someone their pronouns, it is preferable to allow “gender non-conforming” people to come out with their pronouns “on their own terms.”
“The webpage you are referencing was created by students, for students. The university supports students’ freedom of expression, as guaranteed under the First Amendment,” a University of Colorado spokesperson said, according to Washington Free Beacon, claiming the university “recognizes that misgendering people, whether intentionally or not, can cause harm and feelings of disrespect and exclusion.”
“We are committed to supporting and advocating for an inclusive environment for everyone on campus,” the university said, according to The Free Beacon.