“Welcoming to all and hostile to none. It’s a phrase we aspire to live by on our campus.” These are the words that greet you in bold when you open up http://www.utk.edu/diversity/.
Last week, our Office of Diversity and Inclusion wrote a post about gender inclusion on their page. Written by Donna Braquet, Director of the Pride Center at UT, the post encourages students and faculty to be aware of inclusive pronoun language that accompanies gender identities outside of the traditional binary system. That is to say, there are people who don’t identify as male or female at UT, and they should be addressed as appropriate. This is not a policy change. No one is making you do anything. It is simply a notification that this is how some people prefer to be called.
This post has made more than a few people uncomfortable, including Todd Starnes, a potato loaf disguised as a Fox News pundit. In his opinion article on Friday, Starnes writes “There you have it, folks. His and Hers is no longer good enough at the University of Tennessee – where they are willing to sacrifice anything for the sake of gender inclusivity – including common sense. I wonder if they’ve got a gender neutral word for idiot?”
Tennessee state legislators have also weighed in their thoughts on this thing that doesn’t affect them at all. State Senator Mae Beavers said this about our initiative for inclusivity: “It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard … The idea a child would want to be called by a gender neutral term is absolutely ridiculous. It’s getting so crazy in this country.”
Okay, two things. First, we’re not children. The vast majority of us are old enough to vote and serve in the military. Second, why is calling someone by a preferred name such a crazy idea? Why is it that conservatives, those so quick to call on the teachings of Jesus, are the most hateful and close-minded of people, especially in our various levels of legislature?
You know what’s really crazy and ridiculous, Beavers? You and Todd Starnes. The fact that you’re too lazy and shallow to learn a couple words that might make someone feel welcome wherever they are. This isn’t some liberal agenda. This is love. Love for our non-conforming neighbors. You know, that thing your boy Jesus talked about a lot? If you go back and read The Bible, JC really didn’t hang out with the likes of you (politicians). Instead, he spent a lot of time with the members of society that didn’t exactly fit in.
I could not be more proud of my university in this moment. In the midst of crushing stupidity by those that govern us at the state level, members of the UT community are standing up for those who have been oppressed by the fundamentalist conservative agenda for too long. I know the words may sound weird at first, but in reality, it’s not about us. It’s about letting our classmates know that we support them and care for them.
After some thought, I think the words are pretty great. It’s also exciting to see language changing right before our eyes, and this time for the better. The word “selfie” wasn’t exactly an improvement to our lexicon. I can’t wait until someone asks me to address them as “ze.” Going forward, I ask my fellow Vols to think not only of themselves, but our transgender and non-binary gender identifying neighbors as well. They have a long journey to go in terms of social acceptance and familiarity, and this was a positive step forward.
And just for your information, my preferred pronoun is “he.”
Thomas Carpenter is a senior in classics and president of the Central Program Council. He can be reached at [email protected].
