Student gov labels conservative events 'discriminatory incidents'
A recent resolution introduced by the Virginia Tech Student Government Association argues that talks delivered by popular conservative figures constitute “discriminatory incidents” on campus.
According to a copy of the resolution obtained by Campus Reform, the document seeks to condemn the university’s Women’s Lacrosse team that recently sparked controversy for singing along to the song titled “Freaky Friday” by Lil Dicky, including the n-word that repeatedly appears in the lyrics.
[RELATED: Fordham protesters accuse conservatives of ‘white supremacy’]
Noting that “on March 24, 2018, the Virginia Tech Women’s Lacrosse team was caught on video singing along to a song that contained a racial slur,” the resolution states that “this incident is one of many episodes of discrimination and animosity toward marginalized groups that have occurred on the campus of Virginia Tech in recent months.”
The resolution proceeds to elaborate on the so-called “discriminatory incidents,” specifically mentioning talks by conservative scholar Charles Murray, political activist Charlie Kirk, and conservative comedian Steven Crowder—even going so far as to label Murray a “white-nationalist” and claim that promotional information for one of Crowder’s events included “homophobic language.”
According to the resolution, “examples of such discriminatory incidents include…a guest lecture by Dr. Charles Murray, a white-nationalist known for inaccurate theories linking race and intelligence; a Steven Crowder speaking event in which promotional materials contained homophobic language; and the invitation of Charlie Kirk, a controversial right-wing speaker whose rallies have attracted the support of white nationalists and ended in violence such as the February 2nd event at Colorado State University, to speak on campus April 30th.”
Asserting that “such discriminatory incidents contribute to members of marginalized communities feeling unsafe on the campus of Virginia Tech,” the resolution goes on to “completely and wholeheartedly” condemn the Women’s Lacrosse team out of a desire to “stand in solidarity with our fellow students.”
[RELATED: Prof creates checklist for detecting white supremacy]
In voicing their condemnation of the Women’s Lacrosse team, the sponsors of the measure wrote that they support the statements made by groups who criticized the incident, and urged the school’s administration “to immediately and specifically heed the demands of our fellow students in the NAACP Chapter and the Black Organizations Council.”
Both statements, which are appended to the end of the resolution, demand that the university immediately disavow the Women’s Lacrosse team’s behavior, as well as initiate disciplinary action against the athletes involved.
On Wednesday night, the SGA posted a “Statement of Support for Student Demands” on its Twitter page incorporating the language used in the resolution, along with the signatures of 28 SGA members.
The Virginia Tech SGA did not immediately respond to Campus Reform’s request for comment.
Follow this author on Facebook: Nikita Vladimirov and Twitter: @nikvofficial
