Riley Gaines Vows to Show Up to Penn State After the University Abruptly Cancels Her Scheduled Speech

Ahmad Austin Jr.Oct 10th, 2023, 10:50 am
 
Riley Gaines

Hannah Schoenbaum/AP

Penn State University canceled a schedule speech from women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines. In response, Gaines has vowed to show up to the university anyway.

Gaines — host of OutKick’s Gaines for Girls — has become a controversial figure to some for her call to ban transgender athletes from women’s sports. She gave a speech on the issue at San Francisco State University in April, but was met with university protestors and claimed she was prevented from leaving.

The former collegiate swimmer — whose advocacy stems from her experience competing against Lia Thomas — was set to speak at Penn State on Tuesday. In fact, university president Neeli Bendapudi posted a video explaining that the public institution is “bound by the First Amendment” and must give speakers like Gaines a platform, regardless of the views held by the university.

“For centuries, higher education has fought censorship, believing that the best way to combat bad ideas is with better ideas,” Bendapudi said, “bad speech with more speech. We all wish to be on a campus where we are free to express our own beliefs and perspectives. 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.”

After posting the video, however, the university canceled Gaines’ speech. She then took to Twitter to announce she wouldn’t be denied from expressing herself on campus.

“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),” she said. “Have it your way. See ya tomorrow with a soap box and megaphone, Penn State!”

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