Are ‘controversial speakers’ accused of hate speech heading back to Penn State? What we know
Six months after Penn State officials warned the campus community of the future likelihood of “controversial speakers,” university President Neeli Bendapudi said Monday she had “no doubt” that similar speakers who have espoused hateful ideas would return to University Park.
Although she did not name the speakers or the hosting student groups by name, two such groups attempted to hold events last semester — and both groups confirmed to the CDT on Wednesday they’re planning for similar events this fall.
Young Americans for Freedom, a conservative activism organization, is planning to bring two speakers to campus this semester — including James Lindsay, whom the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled an “extremist” due in part to his anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. Uncensored America, which started a chapter here in 2020, said in an email it will announce this semester’s speaker lineup “very soon.”
No dates, times or locations for any of the potential events are yet known. No events have been publicly announced.
In a video message, posted to Penn State’s news site Monday, Bendapudi reiterated she shares the concern of those who find such messages “deeply hurtful.” But she again emphasized that the university cannot legally cancel such events on the basis of speech due to the First Amendment, which multiple experts have also told the CDT.
“We all wish to be on a campus where we are free to express our own beliefs and perspectives,” Bendapudi said in the video, with music softly playing in the background. “But 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.”
Last semester, Young Americans for Freedom planned to host Lindsay on April 20 while Uncensored America wanted to schedule an April 24 event around self-proclaimed professional troll Alex Stein, who gained headlines last summer for sexually harassing U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Young Americans for Freedom canceled their plans after expressing dissatisfaction when the event was scheduled for a conference room within the Bryce Jordan Center, and Uncensored America did the same due to an unrelated scheduling conflict. (Again, the groups canceled those events. Not the university.)
The topic of hate speech has been an ongoing issue at University Park since at least November 2021, when Uncensored America brought to campus Milo Yiannopoulos, a well-known right-wing political commentator. His event — titled “Pray the Gay Away” — drew strong criticism from students and the greater community alike. More than 200 protested outside the event, while a counter-event called “Love is Louder” boasted an attendance of more than 1,800, or about 7 times more than Yiannopoulos.
A year later, in October 2022, another high-profile event was set to feature Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes, along with Stein. Ultimately, Penn State canceled the event about 45 minutes before it was set to begin due to the “threat of escalating violence” — and not the speech itself — after supporters of the Proud Boys, one of whom gave a Nazi salute, pepper-sprayed a number of protesters and reporters.
“So what can we do about speakers who come to Penn State to anger, hurt and incite members of our community?” Bendapudi asked in the video. “Speak out, clearly and firmly, against hateful speech as well as other instances of discrimination. Hurtful rhetoric causes real fear and anxiety among our community, and those individuals need your support. ...
“And, if you wish to exercise your free speech rights by protesting the speaker, we support you in this action since rejecting hate-filled speech is the responsibility of everyone.”
Jack Kentner, president for Young Americans for Freedom, wrote in a statement that the group appreciates Bendapudi’s “comments highlighting the importance of maintaining freedom of speech on campus.”
“Regardless of political affiliation, it is unethical for one’s First Amendment rights to be violated, whether it be in the form of shouting down a speaker, blocking other students from attending, or using outright violence to stop a campus speech,” he wrote.
The only speaker so far confirmed this semester by the recognized student groups, Lindsay, is no stranger to controversy. He has mocked George Floyd, referred to the Pride Flag as the “flag of a hostile enemy,” promoted the conspiracy theory that LGBTQ supporters are pedophiles, and once got into a Twitter fight with the Auschwitz Museum over comparing vaccine mandates to the Holocaust.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit that seeks to fight hate and racial injustice, has said Lindsay is “a leading voice in the reactionary anti-student inclusion, anti-LGBTQ and conspiracy propaganda movement.”
Such future speakers are expected to receive funds from the student-run University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC), which also cannot legally deny funds on the basis of a group’s speech. Any formally recognized student group, such as Uncensored America and Young Americans for Freedom, have the ability to invite speakers to campus while requesting funds.
According to the UPAC’s latest published minutes, which might exclude the most recent meeting, neither student group has yet made a formal request for the fall. Summer allocations for groups ranged anywhere from just under $70 to more than $30,000.
The final day of fall semester classes is Dec. 8. Students’ last day before Thanksgiving break is Nov. 17.
