PA Legislators Call For The Cancellation Of TPUSA Event At The University Of Pittsburgh
Legislators in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania are calling for the cancellation of two events that will be held on the University of Pittsburgh’s campus in the next month.
The Turning Point USA chapter at Pitt has scheduled an event on March 27 that will feature former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines. After tying with Lia Thomas at the NCAA Championships, Gaines has become a vocal activist for fairness in women’s sports. Her event is titled “Saving Women’s Sports” and is intended to bring more attention to the opportunities being taken from female athletes by biological males who are competing against them.
Another group on campus will be hosting a transgender debate on April 18th that will feature Daily Wire host Michael Knowles and transgender scholar Deirdre McCloskey. After speaking at a conservative event and stating that the ideology of transgenderism must be “eradicated,” Knowles has been in the spotlight as many outlets (and even the White House) have purposefully misrepresented his claims to state that he was calling for the eradication of transgender people.
Students at Pitt have created an online petition titled “Hold the University of Pittsburgh Accountable in Protecting LGBTQIA+ Individuals.” The petition, which has almost reached its goal of 10,000 signatures, is calling for the university to cancel both events. The author of the petition calls Riley Gaines “a known transphobe who continually denies the existence of trans women and advocates for banning trans women from sports.” The petition also states that it is “deeply disturbing” that the university would even consider the approval of these events.
In response to the severe backlash from students on campus, the university released a statement on its website to address the events in question. In its statement, Pitt distanced itself from the events by explaining the events are hosted by registered independent student organizations, not the university. Two days later, Pitt released another statement where they agreed the events are “toxic and hurtful.”
“We understand these events are toxic and hurtful for many people in our University community. The presence of these speakers on our campus does not change the University’s unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. That commitment includes steadfast support for those in our community who are negatively affected by these upcoming events, now and in the future.”
Pitt Media statement regarding upcoming campus events
The individuals calling for the cancellation of these events are not just university students. Two members of the Pittsburgh House LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, Jessica Benham and Malcolm Kenyatta, also condemned the events and called for them to be canceled in an official press release.
“I am shocked, appalled, and outraged that an institution as prestigious as the University of Pittsburgh is allowing these events to occur on their property and bolstering these hateful individuals,” Benham said. “This is not a free speech issue. Hate speech is not protected speech. This is about the safety of transgender students and recognizing that transgender people exist.“
In a statement to Campus Reform, Gaines had the following to say regarding the extensive pushback to prevent her from speaking at Pitt:
“Banning the event is a concern of mine but not because it would mean that I wouldn’t be present and sharing my story experience for all to hear. My concern is much deeper than that. The people who are directly impacted are having their voices suppressed. Forcing the majority to abandon their rights in favor of the minority is immoral and the opposite of what it means to live in a democracy.”
Riley Gaines statement to Campus Reform
It’s not unusual for TPUSA to experience protests and petitions from radical leftists on campus, but to have legislators calling for the cancellation of an event is a new low. It is the duty of our elected representatives to support and defend the Constitution. This means that their job is to protect freedom of speech, even if it is speech they disagree with.
