At Pittsburgh’s Point Park University, they’re serious about speech. And one student’s been framed as Pronoun Enemy #1.
As I covered last week, the roughly 4,000-attendee school announced stringent rules related to language.
The “Misgendering, Pronoun Misuse, and Deadnaming” section of a recent dictate reads thusly:
Any individual who has been informed of another person’s gender identity, pronouns, or chosen name is expected to respect that individual. Point Park University fosters a community of inclusivity for every member at the institution. Misgendering, continued misuse of an individual’s pronouns, or using an individual’s deadname after being informed of a chosen name could result in a violation of the Policy on Discrimination and Harassment for gender-based discrimination.
It’s an odd choice — the missive outlaws things not only said to someone, but about them.
After all, biology-based pronouns are used in third person.
At Point Park, a misstep — no matter the intention — may result in “action”:
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. … Using language that assumes another person’s gender or pronouns or generalizing an entire group can be harmful and cause trans and gender non-conforming folks to feel isolated, even if you don’t mean to.
Given the guidelines, Campus Reform correspondent Logan Dubil — who’s a student at Point Park — broke the story.
Additionally, he was quoted by Fox News:
“Personally, I believe in the science. There are two sexes and two genders: male and female. 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.”
Logan even appeared on The Ingraham Angle:
He told Laura Ingraham it’s unclear how pronoun defiers might be disciplined.
But for some in support of the new rules, Logan’s become intolerable.
Hence, a new Change.org directive demanding he be booted.
The petition — “Remove Logan Dubil from Point Park University” — pummels the pupil:
As you might be aware, our school has recently appeared on the news. … There is a person with the name Logan Dubil with the title of Student Reform Correspondent. Action needs to be taken against them because they do not respect others pronouns and made statements that are transphobic on the news. I will be starting an online petition to remove him from campus at once. I will not stay at a school where people are not respected and other students refuse to even listen. This is obviously an issue with other students as well because there is an uproar among students. Do the right thing.
The originator of the 474-signature solicitation — “Max” — explains, “This was an email I…sent to Colleen Hooper, who is the head of [Point Park’s Conservatory of Performing Arts]. Please spread this petition to the rest of Point Park as well as any person with some basic human morals.”
Max’s patience is maxed:
We need to remove Logan Dubil from campus as well as others like him who refuse to respect other people pronouns. There is no possible way to be a moral correct person while also disrespecting people’s pronouns. Logan Dubil and others like him are the scum of the Earth. No one belongs on our campus who does not respect other peoples pronouns.
We’ve come to an interesting place.
Mere moments ago, no one “had” pronouns.
Pronouns belonged to the English language, which used two sets of such words in reference to someone’s sex — not their individual “gender.”
Suddenly, English is being updated.
Point Park’s Pronouns and Inclusive Language Guide suggests substitutes for common errors:
- You Guys → Everyone/Y’all
- Sir/Ma’am → (Omit From Sentence)
- Boyfriend/Girlfriend → Partner
- Ladies & Gentlemen → Students/Guests
- Men/Women → All People/All Genders
- That Guy → Person in the Blue Hat
- Mother & Father → Parent
- Brothers/Sisters → Siblings
- Boys/Girls → Kids
- He or She → They
On Fox, Laura offered an example of the university’s pronoun employment in practice:
“Those shoes belong to hir. Ze made them hirself.”
Is this the future of language — a multitude of more words to memorize, which apply differently to each individual on Earth?
If so, it’s gonna be a lot to learn — at a time when education’s even cut out cursive.
Personally, I miss the old days — it was simpler when rules came from English rather than the kid two desks in front of me.
These days, everyone’s a rebel — they make their own rules.
But Logan won’t likely be allowed to make his.
Somehow, America seems to have managed the most exclusive inclusivity ever conceived.
Watch your step out there — especially if your shoes belong to hir. Ze made them hirself.
-ALEX
See more pieces from me:
Medical Journal Apologizes for Its Empowering Call to ‘Bodies With Vaginas’
Find all my RedState work here.
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