On Wednesday, Apr. 10, Turning Point USA’s on-campus chapter hosted two transphobic speakers at a documentary film screening in the Daniel’s College of Business. The speakers don’t matter, and neither does the documentary. Frankly, the event would have gone unnoticed by all but Turning Point’s negligible membership. At least, that’s what the administration wishes had happened. When repeatedly asked to respond to Turning Point’s actions, administrators were happy to provide resources and ask queer students to ignore Turning Point but offered no actionable steps to prevent or even speak out against the blatant transphobia happening on our campus. The anxiety I feel as a transgender student is not because this event happened, but rather due to the failure of the administration to provide any tangible support for the transgender community.
The administration’s response was likely informed by policies surrounding free speech. Free speech on college campuses is a hot-button issue in today’s political climate. And, as Turning Point’s event did not constitute a “direct incitement to violence,” there was no precedent to oppose Turning Point’s events as a misuse of free speech. However, when speech constitutes a threat to my very existence as a trans person, the speech itself is an act of violence. Arguments used to defend hate speech as free speech often utilize the fear of a “slippery slope” to justify inaction. But, the slope towards physical violence — never mind verbal violence — against transgender students is far shorter and slicker than the slope towards the oppression of young conservatives.
I am not arguing that Turning Point should be silenced. Even though they threaten my personhood, they still have as much of a right to free speech as I do. However, they are not the only ones with a voice to use. The University administration has a voice—one which they have historically used to speak out in solidarity with groups affected by discrimination or world events. They did not hesitate to voice support for the LGBTQ+ community after the Club Q shooting in 2023. But, when it comes to actions on their own campus, an environment in which their voice carries significant weight, the administration remains silent.
The University of Denver’s administration cannot rely on arguments of free speech to justify their inaction. Dozens of students and faculty used their voices in protest on Wednesday to support the trans community. Dozens of individuals were willing to use their voices, despite the potential of hate or conflict with campus police. Dozens of people watched administrators from the Office of Student Engagement work tirelessly to ensure the protestors were not “too disruptive.” The University Administration showed that their true concern is not with the protection of free speech or the creation of an inclusive campus environment, but the prevention of anything that is disruptive to the norm.
