“The Safe Space has also instructed its participants to report any individuals who disagree with its concept.”
As institutions of higher learning across the United States settle in for another year of academics, several are preparing for more political correctness. By now, most of America has heard of the so-called “safe spaces” that have sprung up around colleges and universities. While some might be physical spaces that are designated for certain groups to gather and be safe from judgment or persecution, many others are simply declarations of their support for a cause.
The safety pin movement is probably the most ridiculous that comes to my mind—the protest that sprung up in the United States following the election of President Donald Trump that is supposed to signal to immigrants, minorities, and LGBTQ community members alike that a person wearing a safety pin is an ally and will offer protection. I’d like to think that any decent American would protect me from discrimination.
But I digress.
Cornell has joined the revolution with their campaign to create a safe space for members of the LGBTQ community on campus by offering a chance for students to sign up to become a member of their “Safe Place.” This program boasts that its mission is “to affirm LGBTQ identities and promote an affirmative and supportive environment,” as well as “to use inclusive language, avoid stereotyping, and not to assume everyone is heterosexual.”
They also suggest that students become familiar with and use pronouns such as “sie, zie, and they.”
Again, I must point out that every American has a duty not to discriminate against individuals based upon sexual orientation. However, just as citizens have a right to express their sexuality, others also have a right to express their disapproval for a certain lifestyle. Especially when the beliefs clash with religious standards that many Americans still practice. In any case, the Cornell Safe Place encourages students to protect members of the LGBTQ group from discrimination by being open-minded, accepting of another’s lifestyle, and just plain ol’ nice.
Sounds easy, right? Okay, so here’s the part that trips me up.
The Cornell LGBT Resource Center is the organization that oversees the Safe Space program. They also suggest that students become familiar with and use pronouns such as “sie, zie, and they.” According to them, this will foster inclusive language. I’m sorry, but I’m not going to call another grown person “zie.” That just goes against the English language that I strive to speak. I also cannot in good grammatical conscience refer to one person as “they.”
Why would these pronouns be pushed in a learning environment? We can debate all day what individuals would like to be called and how fluid those pronouns are, but at the end of the day, they don’t make sense.
As much as I love me some LGBTQ community, these things are getting out of hand. The Safe Space has also instructed its participants to report any individuals who disagree with its concept. Technically, it says that if participants feel they have been discriminated against for supporting the LGBTQ community, but we all know that it takes little to nothing for a pin-wearing college student to become triggered.
“They” need to calm down with this madness.
