A federal judge has preliminarily blocked a University of California policy that prohibited the "intentional or repeated use of a name or pronoun inconsistent with the individual's gender identity." The court held that the policy likely violates the First Amendment, reasoning that compelled or prohibited speech about names and pronouns falls within protected expression.
The injunction is preliminary, meaning the judge found a substantial likelihood that the policy is unconstitutional but has not issued a final ruling. The decision applies to enforcement of the rule while the lawsuit continues.
The ruling does not address whether universities may adopt other measures to support transgender students. It focuses narrowly on the specific UC policy and its apparent conflict with free speech protections.