As Heat Street‘s Politics Editor Jillian Melchior reported this week, a new policy at the University of Michigan allows students to choose their preferred pronouns— including the gender-neutral “they” and “ze” — to appear on class rosters.
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With that in mind, one conservative student, Grant Strobl, who is also chairman of the Young Americans for Freedom board of governors, decided to troll the university administration by officially requesting his pronoun to be changed to “His Majesty.”
And it worked!
Although Storbl says he has “no problem with students asking to be identified a certain way,” he thought it important to show just how ludicrous it is for universities to institutionalize the use of “arbitrary” pronouns and threaten disciplinary action if students and staff repeatedly fail to use them.
“I henceforth shall be referred to as: His Majesty, Grant Strobl. I encourage all U-M students to go onto Wolverine Access, and insert the identity of their dreams” he told the College Fix.
The university vice president and provost of student life said employing preferred pronouns was “one of the most basic ways to show your respect for their identity and to cultivate an environment that respects all gender identities.”
Students can now add or change their preferred pronouns, and the changes will only be shared with “those who have a legitimate education interest in this information,” according to the new website.
Since the announcement, several students have followed Srobl’s example, registering an array of of regal pronouns.
My new identity is His Majesty Grant Strobl, what's yours? After you update WolverineAccess, tweet to #UMPronounChallenge! @YAF @YAFUMich
— Grant Strobl (@grantstrobl) September 28, 2016
I go by "His Grace" @yaf @grantstrobl #UMpronounchallenge
— Blake Toth (@Toothraptor) September 29, 2016
#UMPronounChallenge @yaf
New pronoun just entered into wolverine access: "Her Royal Highness"— Cas (@CassRah89) September 29, 2016
#UMPronounChallenge You shall now refer to me as "The Exalted Reverend Doctor Architect," & everyone else shall refer to themselves as Mary.
— David Brown (@theomegagambit) September 29, 2016
The college made the change following a student-led initiative, Wolverines for Preferred Pronouns, which garnered over 750 signatures on Change.org this year.
We’ll see how long the administration will bow to “his majesty”‘s wishes.
