If you’re already tired of the racism, homophobia, and misogyny Americans voted for on Election Day, it looks like this is just the beginning.
Demonstrators at Texas State University’s campus on Wednesday carried signs that said “Women are property,” “homo sex is sin,” and “types of property: women, slaves, animals, cars, land etc.” The demonstration, carried out by a group of men who were unaffiliated with the school, happened fewer than 24 hours after former President Donald Trump was reelected to the Oval Office.
Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse condemned the hate rhetoric in a letter on Thursday: “While TXST is legally committed to protecting free speech on our campuses, we understand that words can negatively impact members of our community. I condemn the hateful words these two men wrote and spoke while they were on our campus. That kind of hate is not welcome here.”
One of the signs cited the website of Official Street Preachers, an organization that encourages Christians to demonstrate and preach in public spaces, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Public universities like Texas State are required to allow “expressive activities” in public, outdoor spaces on campus as long as the speech is protected by the First Amendment, per the newspaper.
But parents, students, and community members were outraged that more was not being done. After the university posted a portion of the letter on Instagram, more than 400 comments flooded the page. One user wrote, “Hate speech is not the same as freedom of speech. Pls learn this.”
Another user wrote, “These weren’t protests, these men literally said gays should be killed, and people enslaved — a public university shouldn’t draw the line of free speech after the safety expense of women, gays, and poc — any speech that implies violence or illegal acts is unacceptable and already against the code of conduct.”
Damphouse said the university is looking into “potential legal responses as we learn more.”
In the hours since Wednesday’s demonstration, students on campus have been reporting acts of kindness from their community. One photographer posted images on Instagram, of women handing out flowers and people holding signs saying “Free Hugs”, “You are loved” and “Hate is not welcome here.” The photographer wrote it was “an opportunity for unity that is far stronger than the hate seen.”
Read more at KXAN.
