Catholic university encourages community to avoid ‘men and women’ language
The University of San Diego is advancing a broad slate of gender ideology initiatives through its official policies, housing, and staff training programs.
One university guideline recommends eliminating binary phrases like 'the men and women in this room' and encourages faculty to interrupt microaggressions and normalize pronoun sharing.
The University of San Diego (USD), a Catholic institution, is advancing a broad slate of gender ideology initiatives through its official policies, housing, and staff training programs.
The school’s “Guidelines for Gender Inclusive Design” instruct faculty and staff to adapt all programming and marketing to avoid causing “a painful reminder” for individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community.
The guidelines recommend that pronouns such as “they/them/theirs” be standard on university forms and appear “all the time.”
A custom pronoun option is also encouraged, alongside reminders that school officials should “lead by sharing your own pronouns.” Students are to be asked what name they “go by” rather than their legal first name to avoid misgendering through the use of a “deadname.”
USD also states in its guidelines that gender identity “is a deeply personal and sometimes fluid social construct” and should be asked for “on occasion.”
Additionally, the university recommends adding affirmation statements to forms, such as: “We honor our trans participants and want to evaluate the experience for specific underrepresented communities.”
Gender identity response options on forms are expected to include “nonbinary,” “gender nonconforming,” and multiple custom options. A glossary included in the document defines terms such as “misgender,” “gender expression,” and “cisgender.”
The university also recommends eliminating binary phrases like “the men and women in this room” on its “Gender Affirming Strategies” page that encourages faculty to interrupt microaggressions and normalize pronoun sharing.
Despite these policies, the university claims its gender ideology is rooted in Catholic doctrine, stating that the initiative is “grounded in cura personalis (care for the whole person)” and part of a broader institutional commitment to “Diversity, Inclusion, & Social Justice.”
USD’s Gender Inclusive Housing policy also accommodates students living with individuals “who share their identity or who are affirming of their identity,” regardless of sex, effectively permitting men and women to share rooms.
Additional DEI-aligned programming at USD includes Rainbow Educators and Safe Space Allies.
The Rainbow Educators group, made up of students, faculty, and alumni, hosts LGBT workshops on “inclusion,” sexual orientation, and visibility for athletic teams, residence halls, and clubs.
Meanwhile, Safe Space Allies requires participants to complete a two-and-a-half-hour training on LGBTQIA+ language and bias. Despite claiming to be “Grounded in Catholic Social Thought,” the group openly promotes and validates gender ideology.
Campus Reform reached out to the University of San Diego for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
