Women's sports advocate protested by trans activists during Real Women's Day speech: EXCLUSIVE VIDEO
Kaitlynn Wheeler was met with opposition from leftist activists during a speaking appearance to commemorate Real Women’s Day in Carbondale, Illinois.
Wheeler serves as an ambassador for the Leadership Institute’s Riley Gaines Center.
A former All-American swimmer was met with opposition from leftist activists during a speaking appearance to commemorate Real Women’s Day in Carbondale, Illinois.
Former University of Kentucky swimmer and women’s sports advocate Kaitlynn Wheeler was protested yesterday by activists near Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIU Carbondale), who chanted and held signs in support of transgender ideology.
Wheeler serves as an ambassador for the Leadership Institute’s Riley Gaines Center. She initially made headlines for speaking out against William “Lia” Thomas, the male swimmer who was allowed to compete with females in the 2022 NCAA championships.
“Because of what she and her sister endured, Kaitlynn is now a fierce advocate for upholding our freedoms and rights to privacy, safety, and equal opportunity,” her biography on the Riley Gaines Center’s website reads.
Video obtained by Campus Reform shows clips of the protest near SIU Carbondale, including various LGBT slogans, symbols, and chants.
Signage included “TRANARCHY,” “Riot for ur Pride Riot for ur Life,” “Queer Anarchy is our only hope,” “Anarchists For Trans Rights,” “Carbondale Cops Hate Trans Women,” “F**k the Cistem,” and “F**k TPUSA.”
Protesters also chanted phrases like “Protect trans kids.”
The event did not occur on the campus of SIU Carbondale, a university spokesperson told Campus Reform.
The spokesperson said that TPUSA at SIU Carbondale was placed on probation on Oct. 4 after it was found in violation of the university’s flier policy.
”We respect the First Amendment rights of our campus community to peacefully express their opinions, including those on issues where people passionately disagree. We will balance that right with the necessity for our community to be safe, the requirement to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment, and the obligation to conduct education and research without disruption,” the spokesperson said.
Wheeler took to X earlier today to describe her experience speaking in her home state on behalf of Turning Point USA, even saying that she was threatened during her appearance.
“I spoke at a @TPUSA event last night in my home state of IL and was threatened, screamed at, and called obscenities by a radical group on @SIUC’s campus,” she said
“We relocated to a police department for safety, but faced chaos outside. Protesters were banging on windows and spewing hate,” she continued. “Is this what ‘tolerance’ looks like to them? I pray for these people.”
Despite the hostility, Wheeler expressed that she is “grateful” for the support she has since received, while adding that “[p]eople need to hear truth now more than ever.”
I spoke at a @TPUSA event last night in my home state of IL and was threatened, screamed at, and called obscenities by a radical group on @SIUC’s campus. We relocated to a police department for safety, but faced chaos outside. Protesters were banging on windows and spewing hate.… pic.twitter.com/qcKsQ6AV8F
— Kaitlynn Wheeler (@WheelerKaitlynn) October 11, 2024
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Riley Gaines, Wheeler’s former teammate, has promoted Real Women’s Day since last year as a way to celebrate the accomplishments of “real women” amid the rise of so-called “trans women.”
“How can we get back to honoring real women when it’s a woman’s recognition to be had?” Gaines writes. “I thought of Oct. 10. It’s the 10th day of the 10th month, which is demoted in Roman numerals by XX.”
“Thus, Real Women’s Day was born – to be celebrated on Oct. 10 (XX).”
Editors note: This article has been updated to add comment from SIU Carbondale.
