Penn State cancels Riley Gaines event weeks after its president said the university should espouse free speech
‘Restricting the speech of one group or individual jeopardizes everyone's rights because the same laws or regulations used to silence bigots can be used to silence you,’ Penn State President Nelli Bendapudi said in a video released in September.
‘No way President of Penn State makes a whole video explaining why public institutions are legally obligated to let ‘bigots’ apparently like me on campus to speak then proceeds to CANCEL my speech tomorrow for real women's day (X/X),’ Gaines tweeted.
Penn State University canceled Riley Gaines’ speech that was supposed to occur Tuesday, Oct. 10, just a month after president Neeli Bendapudi said that the school was “bound by the First Amendment.”
“I have no doubt that we will once again encounter speakers that many will consider controversial either because their views are not widely held or because a speaker espouses ideas that are actively hateful,” Bendapudi said in a video released Sept. 11. “I share the concern of those who believe the messages spread by some individuals are not only offensive, but deeply hurtful. And again, I stand in unity with those who condemn such speakers and their rhetoric.”
Bendapudi also said that as a public university, Penn State was bound by the First Amendment. Bendapudi then provided the definition of the First Amendment and indicated that higher education has fought against censorship for centuries, believing “the best way to combat bad ideas is with better ideas, bad speech with more speech.”
“Restricting the speech of one group or individual jeopardizes everyone’s rights because the same laws or regulations used to silence bigots can be used to silence you,” Bendapudi stated.
She then advised students to speak out when controversial speakers visit campus.
“Speak out, clearly and firmly, against hateful speech, as well as other instances of discrimination,” Bendapudi said.
Gaines started a social media movement to mark Oct. 10 as “Real Women’s Day” since the Roman numerals are X/X, the chromosome pairing of females.
“No way President of Penn State makes a whole video explaining why public institutions are legally obligated to let ‘bigots’ apparently like me on campus to speak then proceeds to CANCEL my speech tomorrow for real women’s day (X/X),” Gaines tweeted on Oct. 9. “Have it your way. See ya tomorrow with a soap box and megaphone, Penn State!”
No way President of Penn State makes a whole video explaining why public institutions are legally obligated to let “bigots” apparently like me on campus to speak then proceeds to CANCEL my speech tomorrow for real women’s day (X/X)😭😂
Have it your way. See ya tomorrow with a… pic.twitter.com/vHTPbK6hBZ— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) October 9, 2023
Gaines later tweeted the confirmation that she was scheduled to speak at Penn State.
”The cancellation was done after scheduling through Leadership Institute (not campus affiliated group) after [Turning Point USA] didn’t meet the deadline,” Gaines tweeted Tuesday. “[By the way] [Turning Point USA] DID initially meet the deadline, but the University wouldn’t meet with them until the 30 days prior had passed. I’d be happy to share those communications as well.”
I mean do you need confirmation that I was scheduled a room on campus? The cancellation was done after scheduling through Leadership Institute (not campus affiliated group) after TPUSA didn’t meet the deadline. Btw TPUSA DID initially meet the deadline, but the University… https://t.co/sHE5o5uOtx pic.twitter.com/C1O4hGadd6
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) October 10, 2023
”When they were told the person speaking was me, suddenly there were ‘staffing demands’ and ‘other competing events,’” Gaines added.
Similarly, Olivia Krolczyk will speak at Florida State University and Paula Scanlan will speak at the University of Illinois on “Real Women’s Day.”
Krolczyk, a University of Cincinnati student, received a zero on an assignment in May for using the term “biological women,” which her professor said was “transphobic.”
Paula Scanlan was a former University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) NCAA Division I swimmer who was also Lia Thomas’ teammate. Thomas, formerly William Thomas, is a male who competed on the men’s team before transferring to the women’s team at UPenn.
