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On Monday, the Collegian published an article titled “Free speech comes to a head: Charlie Kirk’s ‘Smashing Socialism’ event to be surrounded by protests.” The author notes that the Traditionalist Worker Party, a political organization with a self-described aim to “establish an independent white ethno-state in America,” is rumored be in attendance.

The article states that TWP, “plans to attend the event – with plans to counter protest the leftists’ protest.” This phrasing implies that the two parties have separate agendas, and their purposes for attendance on Friday will be mutually exclusive. However, Turning Point USA’s history of condoning misogyny and rape apologia in Colorado indicates a moral alignment with the TWP. These groups harbor similar doctrines of inequality, separatism and hatred. The TWP will be on campus to support TPUSA, and our administration has an ethical obligation to refuse the presence of both organizations.

In January 2017, the CU Boulder chapter of TPUSA invited speaker and right wing persona Milo Yiannopoulos to speak on campus. Milo’s rhetoric includes blatant transphobia, fat shaming, antifeminism, and pedophilia apologia. In his speech at CU, Yiannopoulos said that “feminism is cancer” and “fat people should be deported”.

In March 2017, TPUSA hosted their Mountain West Regional Conference at the Hyatt in Denver. The regional organization featured speeches from Charlie Kirk, as well as Boulder resident and author Ivan Throne. Throne describes women who believe in gender equality as, “angry, lesbianic placard wavers who look like they’ve been hit by a bus.”

On Monday morning, Traditionalist Worker Party flyers were found hanging in the Lory Student Center, and on a bulletin board outside of the Clark A Wing. The flyers made a mockery of rape victims, and implied that immigration from nations south of the United States was equivalent to rape. Considering a ritual use of flyers to announce their impending presence at other events, this confirms the theory that the TWP will be present on campus this Friday.

Isabel Brown, chapter president of TPUSA and Associated Students of Colorado State University Speaker of the Senate, hopes that the event, “allows all Rams to come together in a space of community, learning from one another and debating the issues that really matter.” I implore Brown, the rest of CSU’s TPUSA chapter, and the administration that permit this event to justify their obvious condonation of misogyny and sexual violence. I implore them to claim no association with the values of the Traditionalist Workers Party, despite their shared history of threatening women’s freedom and safety on college campuses across the country.

Colorado State University adheres to the Principles of Community. We claim to act ethically, take accountability for our actions, nurture inclusive environments, and treat others with equity. Will those principles be upheld by our administration this Friday? Will CSU stand for the safety of all students, or the perpetuation of bigotry in America?

Hank Stowers

Sophomore anthropology student

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