MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A lawsuit representing a student at the University of Minnesota is aiming to change the university's policy regarding students using other students' preferred pronouns and expressing views against transgender ideology.
The Young America's Foundation (YAF), a conservative nonprofit, says in the lawsuit that threatening students with disciplinary action for expressing different opinions on gender identity puts a chilling effect on their free speech.
Lawsuit challenges University of Minnesota gender identity speech policies
What they're saying:
The lawsuit claims that U of M students are forbidden from expressing views that are contrary to one side of the debate on gender identity and transgender ideology.
The YAF also claims that students are not free to express their first amendment rights and are threatened with discipline if they use speech that other students disagree with or dislike. This includes students choosing not to use another student's preferred pronouns and expressing views like "there are only two genders" or "men should not compete in women’s sports."
The plaintiff in the lawsuit says these policies are unconstitutional and that the university only punishes speech that supports "traditional views based in biology about gender identity and transgender issues." The lawsuit claims that the view that sex and gender are "immutable" is discriminated against.
The stated goal of the lawsuit is for the university policy to be changed in order for students to freely express their opinions without fear of discipline. It is also seeking nominal damages of $1.
University of Minnesota policy on equity and access
The other side:
The U of M's library states, among other rules, that, "University members and units are also expected to use other gendered personal references, if any, that are consistent with the gender identities and pronouns specified by University members."
The reason given for the policy is to "support the University’s goal to provide and maintain an environment for University members that is free from discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression."
FOX 9 has reached out to the University of Minnesota for a response to the lawsuit and will update this story when a response is received.
The Source: This story uses information from a lawsuit filed by Young America's foundation.