The University of South Carolina has removed gender identity and pronoun drop-down menus from its graduate school application following intervention from Representative Nancy Mace. The change followed scrutiny over a lengthy list of gender options that critics argued lacked scientific basis and distracted from the institution’s core mission.
Previously, USC’s application offered more than a dozen gender identities, such as “agender,” “genderqueer,” and “gender nonconforming.” It also included pronoun selections like “ey/em/eir” and “yo/yos/yoself.” After Rep. Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, contacted the university regarding the form, the menus were promptly removed.
Mace stated that the gender list reflected a trend toward ideological overreach in higher education and confirmed her office had reached out to USC leadership. The university responded that the fields were added by a third-party application vendor and that it does not collect or use such information in its admissions process.
USC clarified that it collects only legal sex as required for federal and state reporting. The school emphasized that gender identity and pronoun data were not being stored or used by the institution, and the forms were taken down to ensure compliance with its official policies.
This action highlights a growing demand for clarity and restraint in university practices. As national debate continues over the role of identity language in education, USC’s decision represents a move toward more streamlined, fact-based data collection. The quick resolution also illustrates the impact of legislative oversight on maintaining focus in public institutions.
