Putting An End To The Pronoun Police

I was working on my undergrad when much of the LGBT activism we'd had shoved down our throats seemed to start exploding. Almost every class would begin with the standard introduction prompts -- name, major, where you're from. Typical stuff. But what stood out like a sore thumb was the final instruction, that especially at the time, felt like a massive elephant in the room. "And please let us know what your preferred pronouns are," the professors would say.

"Oh, great," I would think, as I tried to figure out how to deflect that particular part of our introductory statements. Most of the students would, in fact, make their preferred pronouns clear. But there seemed to be at least a small number of students each semester who would conveniently "forget" to mention theirs. Of course, I did the same. But just because a few of us managed to get through the class without being forced to adhere to this ridiculous ideology doesn't solve the problem at hand. The problem, as it was then and is now, is that there's no such thing as "preferred pronouns."

The truth of the matter is that there are males and females, and that doesn't simply change because someone decides they're no longer one or the other. It's a fixed reality. But unfortunately, when I was confronted with this ideology at university, I wasn't always sure how to respond. Certainly, joining in wasn't an option. And yet, it was a very real risk that if my fairly left-leaning peers and professors knew where I stood, it would come back to bite me in some form or another. I began dreading the start of a new semester, because the common sense I adhered to didn't seem to be in the majority. Not at the time, at least, and certainly not within my major.

This history, these kinds of experiences, are certainly not unique to me. There have been countless individuals who have faced significant backlash for not bowing down to the woke mob. For years, LGBT activism has steadily crept its way into our stores, schools, policies, and more -- especially under four years of the radically left-wing Biden administration, the depth of indoctrination seemed to go deeper than many Americans thought imaginable. For all these reasons, the absolute wrecking ball President Donald Trump has smashed into these ideological towers is not merely a breath of fresh air, but a reason to rejoice.

There's been no shortage of anti-woke executive orders on Trump's part. Despite being back in office for less than three weeks, he's reaffirmed male and female as the only recognized sexes in the country, scrapped much of the government funding of abortion and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and tackled the damage done by gender ideology in more ways than one. And the reason the topic of preferred pronouns was brought up at the onset is because it's yet another area Trump has said: "No more."

Just last week, Trump "directed all federal agencies to remove pronouns from employee email signatures," The Christian Post reported. "He also instructed departments to disable any email features that prompt or display pronouns, reinforcing his administration's recognition that only two biological sexes exist." In addition to this, "Officials were also told to end any federally supported contracts, grants or programs that involve what the memo described as gender ideology. Agency heads were ordered to place employees working on such initiatives on paid administrative leave and to review all related materials." Trump even went a step further to ensure further clarity by requiring the word "gender" found in any government documents to be changed to the word "sex."

Elsewhere in the administration, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced last week that the department would no longer use "official resources, including man-hours" to celebrate "cultural awareness months." According to the DOD, "going forward, DoD Components and Military Departments will not use official resources, to include man-hours, to host celebrations or events related to cultural awareness months, including National African American/Black History Month, Women's History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month."

A welcome relief, most Americans would agree. As the guidance emphasized, "Our unity and purpose are instrumental to meeting the Department's warfighting mission. Efforts to divide the force -- to put one group ahead of another -- erode camaraderie and threaten mission execution." It's not that the groups recognized by those "celebrations" do not possess inherent dignity and value as everyone made in the image of God does, but the departments' decisions are meant to ensure we "focus on the character of their service instead of their immutable characteristics."

David Closson, director of Family Research Council's Center for Biblical Worldview, spoke with The Washington Stand about these recent developments. "Last week," he said, "the Trump administration released the latest in a series of executive orders aimed at uprooting some of the most radical policies of the previous administration."

He went on to say how "the DOD's decision to end ideological celebrations like Pride Month follow after the incoming Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth promised to return the military to the purpose of fighting and winning the nation's wars." But ultimately, "the DOD never should have been in the business of promoting LGBT activism" in the first place. Even so, these are changes that Christians and social conservatives should welcome with open arms.

As for Trump ending the use of preferred pronouns in email signatures, Closson explained, "Over the last few years, millions of Americans have been subjected to the pronoun police, which has only resulted in confusion and irritation in many workplaces." As such, "I welcome the administration's decision to end the use of so-called preferred pronouns in email signatures. This policy represents a return to sanity, and Christians should welcome this reprieve from the purveyors of radical gender ideology."

Moving forward, Closson concluded, "My hope is that with the implementation of policies that minimize gender ideology, most Americans will realize just how harmful this ideology has become and will want to see them pushed even further to the periphery of society."

Originally published at The Washington Stand