After Riley Gaines Incident, SFSU Revokes Approval for TPUSA Event Featuring Jon Root
Earlier this month, former NCAA champion and Independent Women’s Forum spokesperson Riley Gaines was assaulted while speaking at San Francisco State University (SFSU) about the discrimination facing female athletes forced to compete against biological men.
Now, SFSU is trying to prevent Turning Point USA from hosting another event on its campus. The event titled “How Wokeness is Destroying America,” featuring TPUSA Contributor Jon Root, was initially approved to take place on the university’s campus. Just two days before the event was scheduled, however, the university revoked the room booked for the event and is refusing to provide a larger venue for the speech.
An SFSU spokesperson stated that accommodations would be made if the event was over Zoom, but told the TPUSA chapter president, “If you do end up showing up on the San Francisco State University Quad on April 19th, this a non-San Francisco State-approved and unscheduled event that does not have an approved reservation on campus.”
In response to SFSU’s pushback against TPUSA’s event, Riley Gaines stated via Twitter, “It’s more than apparent SFSU condones doesn’t uphold free speech, and is scared of perspectives that differ from their own. They have now canceled Jon’s TPUSA event with no reason why or alternate date/venue. So much for being a place that welcomes diversity.”
Following SFSU’s non-apology to Gaines, which applauded the students who “participated peacefully,” the Turning Point USA chapter requested additional security measures for the event — before the university canceled the in-person event altogether. In its official statement, the university stated that the administrators “value different ideas, even when they are not our own.” By refusing to provide TPUSA a space to host this event, it is clear that is not the case.
“This event, on the back of Riley Gaines’ assault at the hands of radical, trans activists at San Francisco State, is about standing against censorship of free speech, being a voice for the brave TPUSA students on this intolerant, liberal campus who are being bullied by the administration, and most importantly, this is about sharing the truth without fear.
This has the ability to make waves across the country — to show that San Francisco State and other radical leftist campuses can’t silence conservatives.
Official Statement from TPUSA Contributor Jon Root
