UCLA dorm poster tells students to ‘respect diversity,’ avoid using terms like ‘freshman’ and ‘guys’
The poster also called on students to ‘ask for pronouns.’
Other schools also promote the usage of pronouns and so-called ‘inclusive language,’ such as Oregon State University, which recognizes pronouns like ‘Fae/faer/faers,’ ‘Ve/ver/vers,’ and ‘Xe/xem/xyrs.’
A poster at a dormitory building at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) informed students they should use more “inclusive language” to “respect diversity” by “ask[ing] for pronouns” and dropping terms like “freshman.”
As seen in a photo obtained by Campus Reform, the poster told students that “[i]nclusive language respects diversity by using words that include everyone and avoid harm or exclusion based on identity.” It called on students to stop using terms like “guys” when referring to groups of people, and to “[s]ay ‘first-year’ instead of ‘freshman.’” Members of the community were also informed they should “[a]sk for pronouns” when speaking to others.
[RELATED: Princeton offers course on gender pronouns and why they make people ‘so angry’]
The poster is on a bulletin board outside of Hitch Suites, the university’s dormitory building. A student who wished to remain anonymous told Campus Reform that the poster has been hanging at its current location since the end of September, which marked the beginning of the fall semester.
UCLA has promoted the usage of “inclusive language” and “preferred pronouns” before as well. On Oct. 21, 2023, UCLA’s “Latinx Task Force” hosted a “Pronouns Matter Training” to “explore the significance of gender pronouns and their impact on our community.”
On Oct. 18, 2023, the university also celebrated “International Pronouns Day.”
Other colleges and universities across the U.S. are also pursuing similar agendas. Oregon State University, for example, offers strategies for creating “inclusive classrooms” through “gender inclusive language.” Such strategies include avoiding certain phrases like “born female” or “born male” or pointing out that someone is a “biological woman” or a “biological man.”
[RELATED: NYU promotes pronoun website that recommends gender-neutral terms like ‘Crotch Goblins’]
Oregon State also calls for the usage of “preferred pronouns” such as “Ae/aer/aers,” “Fae/faer/faers,” “Ve/ver/vers,” “Xe/xem/xyrs,” and “Ze/zir/zirs.” The school also promotes the term “pregnant people,” insisting that “[p]eople of all genders can become pregnant.”
According to an Aug. 24 survey from the Public Policy Research Institute, roughly 65 percent of Americans recognize that “there are only two gender identities, man and woman.”
Campus Reform has reached out to the University of California, Los Angeles for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
