California Universities Demand Trans-Pronoun Usage to Attend Classes
Leandra Wells : Oct 29, 2025
California Family Council
What was originally presented as a sexual harassment prevention program has effectively evolved into a gender ideological conformity test. California's new framework demands not only behavioral compliance but also ideological agreement, framing religious beliefs about biological sex as inherently discriminatory.
[CaliforniaFamily.org] California's harassment prevention laws are being used by California universities to compel students to affirm transgender ideology or lose access to their education. Under recently enacted state mandates, students must complete an online sexual harassment and anti-discrimination test that requires them to use a broad definition of harassment. (Image: via CaliforniaFamily.org)
The University of California system's version of the program, called SHAPE—short for Sexual Harassment, Anti-Discrimination, Prevention, and Education—claims that those who do not use transgender pronouns and accept biological males in women's restrooms create a hostile environment and are accused of harassment. The training requires students to answer questions in line with these beliefs; those who fail are blocked from registering for classes.
The SHAPE program is in response to AB 2608, a 2024 state law requiring every student to complete sexual harassment and discrimination training using updated terms and definitions. The term harassment now includes creating a hostile environment, a term so broad and subjective that mere disagreement or differing beliefs can be interpreted as harassment. While universities are not required to use SHAPE specifically, all must implement a program that aligns with the definitions.
UC Merced's website further explains that, "California law now requires all students to take annual sexual violence and sexual harassment prevention training," which also includes "other forms of discrimination and harassment, including hostile environment based on other Protected Categories."
The University of California Office of the President states that SHAPE was "developed by UC Online in partnership with the Systemwide Office of Civil Rights," and integrates directly with each campus' online learning system to ensure full participation. Campuses, including UC San Diego, UC Davis, UC Merced, UC Santa Cruz, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and UC Irvine, have all implemented the program.
While the term hostile environments could be interpreted in various ways, the SHAPE training takes the mandate to a whole new level, ultimately discriminating against students' religious and biological beliefs. The University of California Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence Policy, section 2.C defines harassment as:
"Other sex-based conduct includes acts of verbal, nonverbal, or physical aggression, intimidation, or hostility based on gender, gender identity, gender expression, sex-or gender-stereotyping, or sexual orientation."
According to the UCI, the training is mandatory by the Office for Civil Rights at the University of California, Office of the President, to fulfill state law. Every student must earn a 100% score on the final quiz to pass. Failure to complete the program results in a registration hold, preventing enrollment for the next semester.
In practice, the SHAPE curriculum redefines harassment in a way that targets those who do not agree with transgender ideology.
According to a screenshot of the training provided by Young America's Foundation, one section of the SHAPE training states that a "hostile environment may be created when someone demands that others use a particular bathroom that does not correspond to their gender identity or uses the incorrect pronoun. Intentionally calling someone their name used prior to transition, as opposed to their lived name, is called dead-naming, and may be a form of sexual harassment."
Students are required to answer the following question correctly to pass their training:
"My name is Mona, and I am transgender. My classmate Jane continues to call me James, which was my name before I transitioned. Jane refers to me as a man and complains when I use the women's restroom. I've asked her to stop, but she does not. I feel very disrespected and want this to stop. What type of prohibited conduct can this be?"
The only "correct" answer is "hostile environment."
What was originally presented as a sexual harassment prevention program has effectively evolved into a gender ideological conformity test. California's new framework demands not only behavioral compliance but also ideological agreement, framing religious beliefs about biological sex as inherently discriminatory.
By equating respectful disagreement with harassment, California's universities have blurred the line between protecting students from genuine mistreatment and enforcing a state-approved worldview regarding what it means to be a man or a woman.
Once regarded as centers of critical thinking and open debate, these institutions are now conditioning students to affirm a narrow, politicized definition of truth.
However, do not let indoctrination training like this silence your voice. Refuse to submit to any authority that demands you compromise Biblical conviction or deny biological truth. Instead, stand up and fight alongside the California Family Council. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here