On Thursday, The Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles traveled to Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, after being invited by the Washburn College Republicans to give a speech about radical gender ideology. The event, which happened to occur on the same day as International Trans Visibility Day, was apparently signed off on by the school’s president, Jerry Farley. Yet on Tuesday, Farley sent a campus-wide email condemning Knowles for — as the school’s president put it — having a “history of inciting fear and distrust.”
In reaction to that email, Knowles challenged Farley to join him on stage Thursday and rebut his idea that boys cannot become girls. The president was a no-show on the offer, but anti-Knowles students and community members appeared on campus grounds nearly three hours before the event to protest the conservative speaker.
Young America’s Foundation, which is also involved in Knowles’ talk, reported that Farley told the campus community that a “Washburn student organization has invited a speaker to campus who has a history of inciting fear and distrust.”
“While I am strongly in the support of first amendment rights, I am disappointed when those rights are used to make others feel unwelcome and even unsafe in our community,” Farley explained.
He added that he does “not condone the hate and misinformation spread by the speaker and his supporters.”
After reading Farley’s comments, Knowles challenged the president to join on him stage for his talk, tweeting, “President Farley of course did not cite any evidence for his defamatory claims because none exists. But in the spirit of open dialogue and the free exchange of ideas, I would like to invite President Farley to share the stage with me tomorrow night.”
“If President Farley believes that I have spread ‘hate and misinformation,’ then he can cite specific examples, and we can discuss them,” he added. “If he believes that my thesis that boys and girls are different constitutes misinformation, then he can defend his alternative thesis.”
“Or he can cower in his administrative office, defame me for speaking common sense, and attempt to hide the fact that he personally invited me to speak in the first place,” The Daily Wire host continued. “The choice is his. I look forward to a respectful debate if he has the courage of his convictions!”
Prior to the event, Knowles tweeted: “My speech isn’t for two more hours, but the welcoming committee is already beginning to form at Washburn University.”
My speech isn’t for two more hours, but the welcoming committee is already beginning to form at Washburn University. pic.twitter.com/KSxQyE5KqS
— Michael Knowles, Biological (And Spiritual) Male (@michaeljknowles) March 31, 2022
Other photos from the event showed that protesters called Knowles a “transphobic rat b****,” and also made claims such as, “The future isn’t binary.”
What a welcome party at Washburn University for @michaeljknowles pic.twitter.com/gS9G0lhA0K
— Bre (@Bre_2A) March 31, 2022
Knowles’ talk can be watched here: