In the modern political landscape, everything seems to be up for debate. Every aspect of life has come to be questioned as derogatory or insensitive. Social wars are waged on all fronts, from the obvious to the minuscule.
Language as a Weapon
On the list of topics to be purified from social stigma, one appears to stand out by a large degree: the English language. At first, this might seem unrealistic. After all, what could be so intrusive and insidious about English?
A New Linguistic Nightmare
For many readers, the biggest threat to the English language is its obscurity with comma use and inconsistent grammar. A nightmare for native speakers and second language enthusiasts alike, not much else poses a threat against society, linguistically speaking.
Words Are Power
However, this seems to be anything but the case. Questions of how we use language and adapt to social spheres are being raised as our world attempts to make more space for those in need of it. Many cases in the past few years provide evidence for this idea.
Where’s the Crime?
One such situation from May acts as a brick to the evidential wall. The Biden Administration has become the subject of a lawsuit by two lecturers from the University of Texas. The crime? Defending transgender students within the public education system.
Title IX Backlash
Back in April, The Biden Administration, specifically the Department of Education, made amendments to Title IX. The education department’s Title IX attempts to provide legal protection to victims of gender discrimination and sexual harassment.
Upholding Student Rights
The amendment was in an effort to uphold the rights of trans and nonbinary students who previously may not have been protected due to particular legal language. Title IX now also extends to school systems being required to mandate respect for students’ pronouns and bathroom choices.
An Incendiary Decision
The new changes are set to go into effect starting on August 1. While pro-queer activists praise the changes being put forward, others are not quite thrilled. The case stemming from the University of Texas is one of many waiting to take place in upcoming court cases.
A Catch-All Law
Additional updates to the law include the protection of students based on pregnancy status. This allows them time away “for as long as the student’s physician deems medically necessary.” The new law encompasses both those taking time for terminated and carried out pregnancies.
Malintent From Academics
The case from Texas is being executed by Daniel A. Bonevac and John Hatfield. Both individuals lodged their lawsuit last month, stating that they have no intention of respecting the pronouns of students in their courses.
Refusing the Law
The particular grievances of the two professors center around their pupils who identify as nonbinary and use singular “they/them” pronouns. The two educators also stated that they would not excuse students to have what the professors deem “elective” abortions during the semester.
Who’s Delusional?
Their direct comments are: “‘They’ is a plural pronoun, and it is ungrammatical to use a plural pronoun to refer to a single person,” the two each falsely claimed in their filing. “I will not violate the rules of grammar or make a fool of myself to accommodate a student’s delusional beliefs.”
Older Than Anyone Thought
While the debate over the inclusion of the singular ‘they’ has been fiercely debated in recent years, this was not always the case. In fact, reports of using the singular ‘they’ first emerged in the 14th century.
APA Approved
Professors and other prescriptivists may not agree with the long-standing use of the pronoun. However, the APA style guide endorses the use of the singular they, considering that it occurs naturally and frequently within everyday language.
Outdated Language
Bonevac and Hatfield did not stop their harangue at nonbinary students. They carried on, with referring to trans students as “transvestites” and “crossdressers”, which is no longer seen as socially acceptable.
Governing Lawsuit
These actions may seem appalling to the general public, however, some support the professors discriminatory actions. In fact, the state of Texas is one of over 20 states attempting to sue the Biden Administration for the new amendments.
Educating the Public
Legal responsibility for these matters will not be overseen by the President himself. Rather, this burden falls to the current Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona. In light of ongoing fights for students’ rights, it can only be hypothesized as to how the Department of Education will respond.
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Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / lev radin.
