YEAH, KRISTEN, GOOD EVENING. THAT PETITION HAS NEARLY 10,000 SIGNATURES BELONGING TO PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THE RHETORIC OF THESE SPEAKERS IS DANGEROUS. NOW, ONE OF THOSE SPEAKERS IS CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR MICHAEL KNOWLES OF THE DAILY WIRE. HE’S SET TO APPEAR HERE IN APRIL FOR AN EVENT TITLED A DEBATE ON TRANSGENDERISM AND WOMANHOOD. THERE IS NO DEBATE TO BE HAD OVER THE VALIDITY OF SOMEONE’S EXISTENCE. PITT SENIOR NICHOLAS DEMIAN HELPED START A PETITION AFTER LEARNING THAT RILEY GAINES, CABOT PHILLIPS AND MICHAEL KNOWLES WERE COMING TO TOWN. ALL PRAISED IN RIGHT LEANING CIRCLES. BUT DENOUNCED BY ACTIVISTS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE. IN A STATEMENT TO PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS 4, KNOWLES SAID IN PART, QUOTE, THE IRONY OF THE LEFTIST CALL TO CANCEL OUR DEBATE ON TRANSGENDER ISM IN THE NAME OF SUPPORTING TRANSGENDER, IDENTIFYING PEOPLE IS THAT MY DEBATE PARTNER IDENTIFIES AS TRANSGENDER. THIS ATTEMPT FOLLOWS A WEEK LONG DEFAMATION CAMPAIGN, END QUOTE. KNOWLES IS REFERRING TO RECENT COMMENTS HE MADE CALLING FOR THE ERADICATION OF, QUOTE, TRANSGENDERISM. KNOWLES HAS SINCE SAID HE WAS NOT CALLING FOR HARM AGAINST TRANSGENDER PEOPLE. I HEARD TRANSGENDER PEOPLE. TRANSGENDER IS A FIRST OF ALL, THAT WORD IS JUST INCORRECT IN ITS OWN, YOU KNOW, SAYING. BUT IT WAS VERY CLEAR OF WHAT HE WAS SAYING. SARAH THOMAS SAYS THERE IS NO SINGULAR IDEOLOGY ASSOCIATED WITH TRANSGENDER PEOPLE. SHE’S THE FOUNDER OF SISTERS PITTSBURGH, WHICH ADVOCATES FOR TRANS AND NON-BINARY PEOPLE. THERE’S NO WAY THAT HE WOULD GET THROUGH THAT EVENT IF HE DID COME TO PITTSBURGH. WE WOULD ABSOLUTELY BE THERE MAKING NOISE. THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH HAS POINTED OUT THAT ALL THREE SPEAKERS WERE INVITED BY INDEPENDENTS STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS. A SPOKESPERSON THEN ADDING THAT ADMINISTRATORS UNDERSTAND THESE EVENTS ARE, QUOTE, TOXIC AND HURTFUL FOR MANY PEOPLE IN OUR UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY AND THAT THE SPEAKERS PRESENT DOES NOT CHANGE THE UNIVERSITY’S COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY EQUITY, INCLUSION AND BELONGING. THAT’S LIP SERVICE. IF YOU THEY STARTED OFF WITH I UNDERSTAND. NO, THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND. IF YOU’RE DEBATING THE VALIDITY OF SOMEONE’S EXISTENCE, THAT WILL INEVITABLY INCITE VIOLENCE AGAINST THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE. NOW IT’S THE COLLEGE REPUBLICANS AT PITT WHO INVITED KNOWLES FOR THAT EVENT IN APRIL. WE JUST HEARD VIA EMAIL FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE REPUBLICANS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MINUTES. ACTUALLY, HE SAYS IT’S INCREDIBLY DISAPPOINTING. IT DISAPPOINTING TO SEE SO MANY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH WHO ARE SO AVERSE TO THE CONCEPT OF FREE SPEECH. YOU CAN SEE HIS FULL STATEMENT ON OUR WEBSITE AT DOT COM. AS OF NOW, ALL THREE CONTROVERSIAL EVENTS ARE SLATED TO GO ON RIGHT NOW IN MARCH AND APRIL. MEANWHILE, TRANS ACTIVISTS AND STUDENTS ARE PLANNING A RALLY ON TRANSGENDER VISIBILITY DAY TO VOICE THEIR CONCERN ABOUT THESE EVENTS. THAT’S MARCH 31ST. FOR NOW, WE’
‘We would absolutely be there making noise’: Trans activist lends support to Pitt student petition
Updated: 11:25 PM EDT Mar 16, 2023
A petition urging the University of Pittsburgh to cancel three separate events featuring controversial speakers has accumulated nearly 10,000 signatures, as advocates for transgender rights say the events mark an “egregious display of transphobia and hate.””It’s time to protest,” said Ciora Thomas, the founder and executive director of SisTers PGH, a nonprofit organization that serves transgender and nonbinary people. “It’s time to get down there and support our students.”Watch our interview with Thomas in the video above.The three speakers, Riley Gaines, Cabot Phillips, and Michael Knowles, are exalted in some conservative circles, but denounced by advocates for social justice.Knowles has been the subject of criticism as of late after he delivered a speech at CPAC, during which he said, “Transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely.”In response to the backlash, Knowles insisted he was not calling for harm to be done to transgender people.”I heard ‘transgender people,'” Thomas said. “‘Transgenderism — first of all, that word is just incorrect in its own saying, but it was very clear what he was saying.”Knowles responded to a request for comment from Pittsburgh’s Action News 4, saying his detractors are trying to “censor me from debating the issue.””The irony of the leftist call to cancel our debate on transgenderism in the name of supporting transgender-identifying people is that my debate partner identifies as transgender,” Knowles’ statement read, in part.Nicholas Demjan said he would advise the person participating in the debate with Knowles to withdraw.Today’s top headlines: Husband killed, wife hospitalized after fire breaks out at Sewickley Township house Closure of Charles Anderson Bridge extended, Mayor Gainey says Somerset County DA Jeffrey Thomas found guilty on six charges, not guilty of sexual assault”There is no debate to be had over the validity of someone’s existence,” Demjan said.Demjan, a Pitt senior, helped start the petition along with other students, including those who identify as transgender.Thomas said she and other activists plan to meet with students to strategize about upcoming protests.”There’s no way that would get through that event even if he did come to Pittsburgh,” Thomas said. “We would absolutely be there making noise.”Dylan Mitchell, president of the College Republicans at Pitt, called the opposition to these events “incredibly disappointing.” “As college conservatives, we know there will always be backlash to our beliefs because we go against the tide of the majority, but that’s why it’s so important that we stand up for ourselves and refuse to back down,” Mitchell said in a statement.The University of Pittsburgh noted that the events are organized by independent student organizations, but pledged its support for people in marginalized communities. “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,” a follow-up release from Pitt said Monday. “That commitment includes steadfast support for those in our community who are negatively affected by these upcoming events, now and in the future.”Thomas dismissed the statement as “lip service.””They started off with ‘I understand,'” Thomas said. “No, you don’t understand.”
A petition urging the University of Pittsburgh to cancel three separate events featuring controversial speakers has accumulated nearly 10,000 signatures, as advocates for transgender rights say the events mark an “egregious display of transphobia and hate.”
“It’s time to protest,” said Ciora Thomas, the founder and executive director of SisTers PGH, a nonprofit organization that serves transgender and nonbinary people. “It’s time to get down there and support our students.”
Watch our interview with Thomas in the video above.
The three speakers, Riley Gaines, Cabot Phillips, and Michael Knowles, are exalted in some conservative circles, but denounced by advocates for social justice.
Knowles has been the subject of criticism as of late after he delivered a speech at CPAC, during which he said, “Transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely.”
In response to the backlash, Knowles insisted he was not calling for harm to be done to transgender people.
“I heard ‘transgender people,'” Thomas said. “‘Transgenderism — first of all, that word is just incorrect in its own saying, but it was very clear what he was saying.”
Knowles responded to a request for comment from Pittsburgh’s Action News 4, saying his detractors are trying to “censor me from debating the issue.”
“The irony of the leftist call to cancel our debate on transgenderism in the name of supporting transgender-identifying people is that my debate partner identifies as transgender,” Knowles’ statement read, in part.
Nicholas Demjan said he would advise the person participating in the debate with Knowles to withdraw.
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“There is no debate to be had over the validity of someone’s existence,” Demjan said.
Demjan, a Pitt senior, helped start the petition along with other students, including those who identify as transgender.
Thomas said she and other activists plan to meet with students to strategize about upcoming protests.
“There’s no way that [Knowles] would get through that event even if he did come to Pittsburgh,” Thomas said. “We would absolutely be there making noise.”
Dylan Mitchell, president of the College Republicans at Pitt, called the opposition to these events “incredibly disappointing.”
“As college conservatives, we know there will always be backlash to our beliefs because we go against the tide of the majority, but that’s why it’s so important that we stand up for ourselves and refuse to back down,” Mitchell said in a statement.
The University of Pittsburgh noted that the events are organized by independent student organizations, but pledged its support for people in marginalized communities.
“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,” a follow-up release from Pitt said Monday. “That commitment includes steadfast support for those in our community who are negatively affected by these upcoming events, now and in the future.”
Thomas dismissed the statement as “lip service.”
“They started off with ‘I understand,'” Thomas said. “No, you don’t understand.”
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