Students at the University of Oxford could be expelled if they fail to use ‘gender neutral’ pronouns, it has been revealed.
The Sunday Times reported that under the university’s behaviour guidelines, students and staff are now required to use the gender neutral pronouns ‘zie’ or ‘ey’ instead of ‘he’ or ‘she’ when referring to transsexual people.
The guidelines, which have been in place for two years, state that “deliberately using the wrong name or pronoun in relation to a transgender person” may amount to harassment.
Strong opposition
Persistently referring to someone’s “gender identity history” is also a breach of the guidelines.
This could result in disciplinary action, including dismissal for staff members, or an expulsion for students.
Dr Jordan Peterson, a professor at the University of Toronto, who has already been targeted for his rejection of the new pronouns, criticised the guidelines.
Dr Peterson said that “UK universities should resist this”, and that whole disciplines of study had already been irretrievably given over to such ideologies.
‘Authoritarian’
Last month he revealed he was heckled and had his office door glued shut for speaking out against gender-neutral pronouns and for refusing to use them.
The abuse came in response to his observation that if a new controversial Canadian Bill became law, his refusal to use the pronouns would lead to a prosecution for a hate crime.
Bill C-16 aims to prevent discrimination on the grounds of gender identity and expression – the gender a person presents themselves as.
Forcing a person to speak particular words is the mark of an authoritarian society, Peterson argued, and said: “Free speech is not just another value. It’s the foundation of Western civilisation.”