The College Fix

Back to school is in full swing, and that means freshmen who arrive on campus bright-eyed and bushy-tailed are about to get their first dose of identity politics.

Gone are the days when freshmen orientation simply consisted of information fairs, registration red tape and pep rallies. Nowadays, many universities throw in mandatory workshops that teach the new students how to begin to view the world through the lenses of race, class, gender and sexuality.

Here’s five lessons first years will likely receive along with their class schedules and photo IDs this month:

1) Masculinity is toxic

Universities across the nation continue to take steps to actively purge male students of what’s been labeled “toxic masculinity.” Examples abound of campuses hosting training sessions, group meetings, lectures and other programs to effectively cleanse what many campus leaders and left-leaning scholars contend is an unhealthy masculinity in young men today. Freshmen orientation is one place campus leaders often jump start this training.

2) Failing to use a person’s pronoun of choice is a hate crime

The University of Minnesota is considering a policy to discipline students or professors who refuse to call someone by their preferred gender pronoun, with penalties that could include being fired or expelled. Let that sink in. Campus activists nationwide allege that misgendering someone is a literal act of violence. Freshmen will definitely be given that memo as soon as they step foot on campus.

3) Claiming to be color blind is racist

Freshmen will quickly be taught about the concept of microaggressions, which progressives say include statements such as “there is only one race — the human race” and “America is a melting pot.” That’s right, arguing that the best society is a colorblind one is actually denounced by leftist scholars who argue that type of thinking denies the significance of a person’s race and their negative racial experiences.

4) Make sure your sex isn’t rape

Most campus policies require students obtain vocal, affirmative and continual consent during sex acts or it can be considered sexual assault or rape. But what that consent actually looks like is a vague, undefined mystery. Even if a woman does not say “no,” or “stop,” or stays silent during the sex act, that does not count as affirmative consent, and a male student can be held liable for assault later on. Nine times out of 10, it’s the male student who is held liable for not obtaining affirmative consent, regardless of whether both parties were willing, and intoxicated, at the time.

5) Be careful what you say, lest you offend someone

Freshmen will be taught to be tolerant. To be inclusive. To be accepting. To be considerate of other people’s feelings. They’ll be told words can be hurtful. One university even nixed phrases such as “lame, fat, homo and exotic.” Other campus leaders often denounce the use of terms that are more controversial in nature, such as “illegal immigrant” or “Make America Great Again.” First years are quickly taught that more important than their free speech rights are people’s feelings. Universities say they care about the First Amendment, but often don’t practice what they preach.

IMAGE: Odua / Shutterstock

Like The College Fix on Facebook / Follow us on Twitter