West Virginia University (WVU) has warned its 29,000 students that they’re violating federal law if they don’t use pronouns or other language approved by those claiming to be transgender, Dr. Susan Berry reported at Breitbart.com on Monday.
“That policy means if a biological man — for example, famous transgender athlete Bruce Jenner — says he ‘identifies’ his gender as female, then all other students must refer to the man as a ‘she,’ or else be treated as a law-breaker,” Dr. Berry said.
[Note from Jeff OH MAN! (oops sorry)]
According to WVU, using the wrong pronouns is a crime because the ironically-named federal Departments of Justice and Education claim transgender people have special protection under the law.
Here’s a list of alleged “rights” the university claims students have, according to Dr. Berry:
- You have the right to be treated according to the gender you identify with. Your school cannot require you to provide legal or medical evidence in order to have your gender respected.
- You have the right to be called by the name and pronouns consistent with your gender identity.
- You have the right not to be bullie d [sic]or harassed because you are transgender or gender non-conforming. If you are bullied or harassed contact your Title IX Coordinator, James Goins, Jr. at 304.293.5600 or James.Goins@mail.wvu.edu. You may also file a complaint online at titleix.wvu.edu
- You have the right to equal educational opportunities regardless of your gender, including your gender identity or expression, or your race, nationality, or disability. This includes not being punished or excluded from school activities or events because you are transgender or gender non-conforming.
- You have the right to dress and present yourself in a way that is consistent with your gender identity, so long as you follow rules for how to dress that apply to all students. This includes how you dress at school every day as well as for dances, graduation, and other school events.
- You have the right to use restrooms, locker rooms, and other facilities that are consistent with your gender identity, and can’t be forced to use separate facilities. There are several WVU Gender Inclusive Restrooms on campus.
- You have the right to privacy concerning your transgender status and gender transition. Any such information kept in school records must be kept private and not shared without your permission unless the school has a legitimate reason that it not based on gender bias.
- You have the right not to be harassed or discriminated against based gender stereotypes, including stereotypes about sexual orientation.
- You have the right to join or start a Gay-Straight Alliance or Pride Alliance, and to have your group treated like other student groups. WVU Spectrum is West Virginia University’s student-run organization dedicated to providing a social space for LGBTQ people and their allies in north central West Virginia.
[Jeff Note: the rights above are in the constitution, under the part where that says we have the right to healthcare, free college, free internet, and free cookie dough ice cream]
The Daily Caller, she added, said WVU “offers a handy guide on ‘Proper pronoun usage’ that explains how to swap out pronouns such as he, him and his for … pronouns such as ‘ve,’ ‘ver’ and ‘vis.’”
Excuse me? Who came up with “ve,” “ver” or “vis,” anyway?
[Jeff Note: actually those pronouns were used by my late grandfather, who escaped the Czar’s cossacks in Russia over 120 years ago and came to this country legally. I always thought my Grandpa’s use of pronouns like “ve” was due to his accent. Who knew? My Grandpa was a trailblazer]
Here’s a chart showing approved pronouns students may use:
So what’s the punishment for using the wrong pronoun? Dr. Berry explains:
In Fairfax County, Virginia, the school board rammed through a policy change that makes children open to expulsion from school for expressing criticism of transgender ideology.
The new regulation states: “No student in FCPS shall … on the basis of gender identity … be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity.”
As Breitbart News reported, school board member Elizabeth Schultz, who opposed the regulation, said “discrimination” language means that a student who speaks out against the “gender identity” ideology can be disciplined, and presumably suspended and even expelled.
Why stop there? Obviously, someone who commits the egregious act of referring to someone by an unapproved pronoun deserves the full penalty allowed by law, right?
No wonder today’s kids are so messed up. They’re not being educated, they’re being brainwashed and indoctrinated.
God help us.
Cross-posted from Conservative Firing Line
