COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A statehouse lawmaker said Ohio’s public universities should be banned from asking prospective students what their preferred pronouns are because it could indicate political ideology.
House Bill 686, which had a hearing in the Ohio House of Representatives Committee on Higher Education on November 20, would prohibit Ohio’s 14 public universities from using “student admission applications that ask for an applicant or include a field in which an applicant can state”. preferred gender pronouns.” Rep. Gail Pavliga (R-Portage County), the bill’s lead sponsor, argued that requiring the utilize of pronouns “distinguishes groups based on their political ideology.”
“I have spoken to several Republican young adults and they have told me that they would not provide an answer to possible pronoun fields when applying,” Pavliga said during the hearing. “Those who don’t respond to the pronoun prompt are much more likely to lean to the right on a political spectrum, and those who respond to the prompt are much more likely to lean to the left on a political spectrum .”
However, Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D-Gahanna) argued during the hearing that such questionnaires can be helpful, noting that she often receives mail addressed to her as “Mr. Piccolantonio”. The MP said she does not appreciate correspondence being addressed to me in a way that does not truly reflect my gender identity.
Pavliga said the bill aims to rid higher education of bias and argued there is no need for a university to require this information because “it provides no indication of it.” [a student’s college] Readiness.” Lawmakers noted that the legislation allows universities to ask applicants’ pronouns at any other time.
Ohio State University and a dozen other public universities in Ohio allow students to apply through the Common App, an online portal that allows students to apply to multiple institutions. The portal includes an optional pronoun question where applicants can select “she/her,” “he/him,” “they/them,” or enter their own pronouns.
Pavliga said that those universities using the Common App should “request to deactivate the field for their institution.” The legislation would also prohibit these Ohio institutions from asking applicants their pronouns.
Some universities in Ohio, such as Bowling Green State University, have added a question to their Common App application that asks about a student’s gender identity. The University of Cincinnati asks whether the prospective student is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Pavliga said there was “a strong reality” that applicants could be denied admission based on whether they completed such questionnaires.
“Should it be the responsibility of institutions to filter out applicants based on their political beliefs?” Pavliga asked during the hearing. “I believe this is an absolute abuse of power and a misuse of state funds.”
Pavliga introduced the bill after several lawsuits were underway in Ohio over the utilize of pronouns in schools. A former Ohio middle school teacher claimed in a 2022 lawsuit She was told to resign for refusing to call two transgender students by their preferred names and pronouns.
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio ruled in August that forcing a teacher to utilize students’ preferred names amounts to “compelled speech.” However, the court also ruled that the case still needs to be heard to determine whether the First Amendment protects their reluctance to call the trans students by their preferred names.
Judge on the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an argument from a national organization in July It alleged that a central Ohio school district violated First Amendment rights by prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In a 2023 complaint, the nonprofit cited the district’s policy against misgenderingthe act of referring to another person using pronouns that are inconsistent with their gender identity.
HB 686 could have additional hearings in the House Higher Education Committee, allowing public testimony.
