Charlie Kirk, co-founder and president of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), is currently scheduled to speak on our campus this Thursday as part of his “American Comeback” tour. While some students may be interested or even excited about this event, my beliefs echo many other students, that holding such an event would be an open threat to the wellbeing of many on campus.
The event is advertised as an open forum debate to discuss political beliefs. A debate of this manner is not the first of its kind for Kirk, who is expected to speak at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign following his event at CSUN.
TPUSA is a student organization flagged by the Anti-Defamation League as “a vast platform for extremists and far-right conspiracy theorists.” The organization has clubs and chapters on hundreds of college campuses, including CSUN. While the beliefs of individual club members are varied and protected under the First Amendment, I believe that platforming the leader of a documented hate group would go against CSUN’s values of respecting all people and behaving “as an inclusive, cooperative community.”
Kirk has long been a believer and propagator of the “Cultural Marxism conspiracy theory”, which scholars have deemed antisemitic. Kirk has often blamed Jewish people for funding cultural marxist ideas in academia, putting a target on one of the most harassed minorities in the country. This conspiracy theory is hostile to Jewish people and in my opinion, entirely anti-intellectual. I believe antisemitism and anti-intellectual beliefs should not be given a platform at an institute of higher learning.
Kirk shares this belief with other outstanding individuals such as far-right conspiracist Alex Jones, white supremacist Pat Buchanan, white nationalist Kevin MacDonald, neo-Nazi terrorist Anders Breivik, a disgraced professor, Jordan B. Peterson, former Trump strategist Steve Bannon and Heritage Foundation co-founder Paul Weyrich. I am unsure of what benefit the university receives from giving an individual who keeps such company a platform.
Kirk has been known to engage in bigoted rhetoric at his appearances. In 2021, he called for armed militias to prevent the “diminishing and decreasing [of] white demographics” in the United States. This was a blatant nod to the white supremacist and antisemitic “Great Replacement Theory.” CSUN’s nondiscrimination policy outlines a commitment to protecting students from hate speech based on protected classes. Platforming a man who normalizes and partakes in this type of speech would be a betrayal of that commitment.
Kirk has also been known to spread racist beliefs at his events. After years of pretending to agree with MLK, Kirk denounced him in front of students at America Fest, claiming “we made a huge mistake when we passed the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s.” On his show, Kirk has also openly questioned the qualification of Black pilots based on the color of their skin, blaming DEI initiatives for aviation accidents. This thinking should not have a platform on a campus with a rich history of civil rights advocacy.
Kirk has also used his platforms to spread hateful and discriminatory language against the LGBTQ+ community. On his show, he referred to the rise of LGBT identification as a “social contagion.” More than one out of every ten students at CSUN identify as queer. This rhetoric being displayed on campus directly exposes queer students to hateful speech and homophobia.
Just last month, Kirk made flippant remarks against American Sign Language interpreters, calling them “over the top” and “distracting.” Given this belief, it is safe to say that Kirk’s event may exclude and demean the many Deaf and Hard of Hearing students here at CSUN. CSUN’s Deaf Studies Association (DSA) alongside Alpha Sigma Theta, a Deaf and Hard of Hearing sorority on campus, have organized a joint peaceful protest in regards to Kirk and his comments about ASL interpreters.
CSUN’s Nondiscrimination Policy prevents any student, group, employee, or third party, from engaging in degrading and demeaning rhetoric. The policy outlines that discrimination or harassment on the basis of any protected status is not allowed, including but not limited to race, gender expression, religion and sexual orientation. The university’s Policy on Time, Place and Manner of Free Expression and the Use of Campus Buildings and Grounds does not protect defamation and unlawful discrimination/harassment.
Many students are already facing persecution and harassment in the form of policy decisions by the new Trump administration. These include cuts to the Dept. of Education, a slew of executive orders targeting undocumented immigrants and a continued campaign against LGBTQ+ rights. Kirk, in addition to his own beliefs, has long been a supporter of Trump and his policies. These beliefs are antithetical to CSUN’s mission statement and its Nondiscrimination policies.
As a student and faculty member committed to the success and wellbeing of our students, I feel a moral and occupational duty to denounce this event. Along with the DSA and Alpha Sigma Theta’s joint protest, the Party for Socialism and Liberation Los Angeles has organized an additional protest condemning Kirk’s appearance. I believe that Charlie Kirk’s presence on our campus and his adherence to hateful and harmful ideologies would be a threat to students on campus.
