Michigan Supreme Court considers new rule on the use of preferred pronouns
LANSING, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - The Michigan Supreme Court is considering a new rule for courts across our state, requiring the option for preferred pronouns in court proceedings.
If adopted, the rule would compel judges and court officials to use they/them or other pronouns if requested by a person in court proceedings.
"Pronouns are an essential part of someone's gender expression, and using them correctly demonstrates recognition and respect for that identity," said Jerron Totten, a social justice engineer with LGBT Detroit.
In fact, advocates for creating the rule say it comes down to basic dignity and respect in our courtrooms.
"Transgender people don't feel welcome, don't feel comfortable in our courts, and they report being misgendered, being made fun of by court employees, and sometimes being mocked by judges," said Jay Kaplan, an attorney with ACLU of Michigan LGBT Project. "They have less trust in the court system at lower level than they do with law enforcement. So that shows you that there's work that needs to be done.
But opponents tell CBS News Detroit there are a couple of factors that make a move like this unfair.
"One of the founding principles of this country is free speech and free exercise of religion. And part of that is we just don't force people to say things that they disagree with," said Will Bloomfield, an attorney with the Catholic Diocese of Lansing.
Bloomfield said requiring the use of preferred pronouns could violate religious beliefs and could be confusing when it comes to court transcripts.
"It might make sense in a courtroom as you're speaking, but when you have an attorney reviewing the written transcript, is the attorney referring to a single person or to multiple, say, defendants or plaintiffs? And that can be very confusing when you're looking back at a court record," he said.
For the moment, there isn't a timeline for when a decision could be made on the matter.
