Tested this out, and it doesn't work.
Set habitable, stars and planets to the lowest setting, tiny galaxy, and refused to research UT, and not only do they attack you, but they are particularly vicious about it, maybe because you are snubbing them all.
You get to vote in the UT, yes, but so does every other race who has attempted to talk to you, even though lack of UT prevented you from understanding them.
I've never been gang-banged by the rest of the galaxy so fast, didn't make it through the first year.