Northern Arizona University (NAU) is hiding a key pronoun policy behind a university login.
Visitors to the NAU Directory online may notice some faculty and staff members include their preferred pronouns in parentheses next to their names. As an example, we’ve linked here the directory profile for NAU President Jose Luis Cruz Rivera’s wife, associate anthropology professor Rima Brusi.
The link tagged to all listed faculty and staff pronouns leads to a page hidden behind a university login. However, archived versions of the page are available online.
The Office of Inclusion: Multicultural and LGBTQIA Student Services (now called “The Office of Inclusion”) created the two-page “Pronouns Flyer” outlining the policy. Based on archiving data, it appears NAU first uploaded the pronoun policy page sometime between January 1 and March 14, 2024.
It also appears NAU hid the policy flyer once President Donald Trump took office last year and instituted his executive orders cutting off federal funding for taxpayer-funded entities implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion — including higher education.
The flyer stresses that the university considers it a sign of disrespect, invalidation, dismissal, or alienation if someone doesn’t address another by their preferred pronouns.
“Neglecting to use someone’s preferred pronouns can make that person feel disrespected, invalidated, dismissed, and alienated,” states the policy.
The policy also advised against assuming gender identity, and directed individuals to be gender-inclusive. NAU maintained that there was no direct link between the two genders and their historically representative pronouns.
“Pronouns often carry a categorization of gender. You might have heard these referred to as ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ pronouns such as: she/her/hers & he/him/his,” stated the flyer. “Many people do not identify as strictly masculine or feminine and it is best not to assume that you know someone’s gender identity. Thus we need gender-inclusive pronouns such as: they/them/their.”
NAU claimed an infinite number of other pronouns existed, citing three other groups as “a few” examples: zie/zir/zirs, sie/hir/hirs, and ey/em/eirs.
The official university tips for pronoun usage advised individuals to introduce their pronouns first when meeting others for the first time to make others feel more comfortable.
NAU also told individuals not to assume gender identity or pronouns, and said it was a “privilege” to not have to participate in pronoun disclosures.
“Remember it is a privilege to not have to worry about what pronouns someone will use for you and not everyone shares that privilege,” stated NAU.
NAU claimed that pronouns rooted in gender identity, not biological sex, were the “correct pronouns,” and advised individuals to apologize if they use the biologically accurate pronouns.
In the closing section of its policy, the university directed individuals to attend an “Inclusive Language Workshop” to navigate the infinite identities present within the NAU community.
Prior to The Office of Inclusion: Multicultural and LGBTQIA Student Services’ rebranding as “The Office of Inclusion” under the Trump administration, the office’s mission statement focused on “support[ing] cultural, gender, and sexuality diversity.”
After its rebranding, the office hid its true nature by obscuring the language in its mission statement:
“The Office of Inclusion transforms the student experience through thoughtful events, environments, and resources that foster and embrace alliances and community connections,” reads the office’s mission statement on its department page.
Although the office adjusted many of its public-facing descriptors to give an appearance of compliance to Trump’s executive orders, its social media pages reveal that it continues to hold the same type of programs and events it held previously. This includes an upcoming “Trans Day of Visibility” at the end of this month.
The Office of Inclusion’s director is M. Lee Griffin, who lists her preferred pronouns as “they/them/their.” Other faculty and staff members are program managers Julia Rachel Atrian, Karen Macias Hale, and Azah Dolores Quach, and assistant director of operations Destinee Shandiin King.
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