The number of Americans identifying as transgender is sharply increasing. So too are demands for others to use individuals’ “preferred pronouns” in the workplace. Ultimately, religious believers of goodwill may disagree on whether love of one’s neighbor counsels for or against the use of preferred pronouns. But if your employer demands you use another’s preferred pronouns, and you cannot in good conscience comply, can your employer fire you?
As with many legal questions, the answer is “it depends.” What’s more, this article expresses my view, not necessarily the views of other legal professionals or of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, where I work. But recent court rulings have started providing more clearly concrete answers. And those answers are looking increasingly favorable for people of faith. Take two recent examples.
In Meriwether v. Hartop, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that a Christian philosophy professor couldn’t be required to use a student’s preferred pronouns.
Professor Nicholas Meriwether taught at Shawnee State University—a small public college in Ohio—for 25 years with a “spotless disciplinary record.” Because of his sincere religious beliefs, Meriwether couldn’t use a student’s preferred pronouns. However, the university had just adopted a policy to that effect and refused to accommodate his religious beliefs. So Meriwether challenged the policy in court, claiming it violated his First Amendment rights under the Free Speech and Free Exercise clauses.
Keep reading this article on The Gospel Coalition.
