University’s Proposed Policy Wants to Force Members to Call Others by ‘Chosen First Name’

A proposed policy at the University of Toledo in Ohio wants to force members to refer to others by their “chosen” name, but a free speech expert warned it could lead to more censorship, Fox News reported Saturday.

The policy was dubbed Inclusive Gender Practices and said, “In addition to validating and affirming personal identities, self-identification allows us to better understand our campus population.”

Per its Chosen First Name Updates, the policy stated:

An individual’s Chosen First Name must be used by all UToledo students, staff, and faculty in all communications. In instances where legal name is required within University Systems, including officials transcripts, tax forms, payroll, and financial aid, the individual’s Chosen First Name must still be used in verbal communication.

According to its office of the registrar webpage, the University of Toledo already permits members to indicate a preferred first name in systems such as myUT portal, university email name, and eDirectory.

“These systems can now synchronize and share your preferred first name. Additionally, you may use a preferred first name on your diploma when you graduate from The University of Toledo,” the site read.

According to Cherise Trump, who is the executive director of Speech First, such policies as the recent proposal may be a harbinger for more censorship.

“We often see attempts on campuses to compel speech under the guise of  ‘inclusion.’ Policies like these can put students in situations where they no longer feel they are able to speak freely. This type of policy opens the door for a culture of censorship,” Trump explained.

Meanwhile, conservative college students all over the nation felt free speech protections on their campuses had sunk 25 percent since 2019, according to a Knight Foundation-Ipsos poll, Breitbart News reported in January.

“Indeed, the poll also revealed an 11 percent overall increase (54 percent to 65 percent) in the perception that the college campus climate ‘stifles free expression’ from 2016 to 2021,” the outlet said.

A spokesperson for the campus in Toledo did not state if there would be consequences for those who do not use someone else’s chosen first name, and according to the Fox article, the last day for the university’s community members to comment on the proposal was Monday.