Yiannopoulos Visit Has Every Right to Happen
October 10, 2016
Milo Yiannopoulos — who is one of only three individuals permanently banned from Twitter, sharing that prize with a random alt-right troll and rapper Azealia Banks — is coming to NYU. The somewhat controversial technology editor of Breitbart, a conservative blog, will be hosting an event with the help of the NYU College Republicans on Nov. 17. The appearance is part of a tour of college campuses, which has such an obscene title that we prefer not to repeat it here.
Some students have expressed reservations about Yiannopoulos’ presence at NYU, since he has a long history of viciously attacking women, minorities, Muslims and essentially anyone else who is not a white Christian male that spends an unfortunate amount of time on the internet. During the 2012 Gamergate controversy, he gained some notoriety for fanning the flames of hate and vitriol against women, specifically female video game journalists. He regularly attacks feminists, Black Lives Matter activists and other progressive voices. Most recently, he got another 15 minutes of undeserved attention by attacking comedian and actress Leslie Jones on Twitter. Yiannopoulos’ views obviously do not align with those of NYU, a school that prides itself on its diverse community and welcoming atmosphere.
Controversial guests invited by NYU have been dropped before — like when NYU Langone disinvited scientist James Watson earlier this semester — but these incidents are not comparable. Yiannopoulous’ appearance is hosted by a student group, not the university. While it’s questionable that Yiannopoulos will be able to contribute anything remotely refreshing or new to political discourse, his irrelevance and general lack of original commentary does not necessarily mean he does not have a right to be here. In the interest of free speech on campus, the College Republicans should be allowed to host Yiannopoulos. Whether someone wants to take him seriously as a political voice or dismiss him as a clownish caricature should be up to that individual.
This recent tour has been met with protests on college campuses, a trend which will surely continue as Yiannopoulos swings up to universities in the Northeast. While protesters have every right to express disapproval with the event, engaging in direct confrontation is exactly what Yiannopoulos wants. To any potential student activists, we urge you to be aware of your actions and how they may be twisted in a Breitbart headline. To Milo Yiannopoulos, even if you receive a warm reception from a small enclave at NYU, recognize that it is by no means indicative of the overall opinion of NYU’s administration or student body. After all, it would be impossible to match the popularity of an NYU event last year that filled an auditorium twice as large to capacity. The featured celebrity? Leslie Jones.
A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, October 11th print edition. Email the WSN Editorial Board at [email protected].
NYU Alum • Oct 11, 2016 at 7:04 pm
I’m ashamed to say I attended NYU. It used to be a place where people pushed the limits, challenged each other with tough arguments and learned from slightly intoxicated debates at 2am in dorm rooms. From the looks of this article, it has become a virtue-signaling Orwellian nightmare looking to cut out wrong think wherever it exists. For example, “an obscene title that we prefer not to repeat it here.” Really? You realize you’re making Milo’s point – the title was meant to trigger people like the authors of this article.
I don’t agree with a lot of what Milo says, but I do agree with his attack on political correctness and intersectional feminism. These two movements have become religion where followers must state their allegiance early on (again, “an obscene title that we prefer not to repeat it here”) in any conversation or risk being crucified for failing an ideological purity test. The movements have also created the most divisive identity politics that I’ve seen in my lifetime. We used to call America a “melting pot” where peoples and cultures mixed, leading to greater idea exchange, great art and even great food. Now, a non-Japanese person making sushi is culturally appropriating…WTF?!?
The integration of political correctness and intersectional feminism into university curricula through a greater administration and through gender studies departments has led to a horrible trend of believing feelings over facts. Social science has become a laughing stock – see RealPeerReview Twitter account. Students are being told that biological differences between the sexes begin and end at the genitals whereas the science says otherwise. Academic costs are skyrocketing through Title IX administrator costs and there are over 150 lawsuits by students claiming they were falsely accused of sexual assault and denied due process through Title IX (at least one of them female). WTF is happening here?
As for the other inaccuracies in the article, see the first comment.
Embarrassed Alum
Charlotte Jorgensen • Oct 11, 2016 at 4:34 pm
It’s sad to see Liberals trum on free speech and trying to censor people in “moral” grounds just like the most avid Christian. It’s called the Dangerous Faggot Tour, and for your group think cult he is dangerous. He speaks the truth y’all are too frightened to even acknowlege. As if by ignoring it, the bad stuff will magically disappear. That is the way a toddler thinks, not grown ups who actually need to own up, speak out, and stop crying over every stubbed toe.
NPS • Oct 11, 2016 at 4:31 pm
Funny that the bastion of Alt-Right support in the US, isn’t even a US Citizen. Nigel Farage and now this guy. Does the US Alt-Right have to import it’s visible speakers?
Eli • Oct 11, 2016 at 7:22 am
Did the editorial board do even basic fact checking?. Let’s start with some brief basic fail checking and disagreement stuff shall we? No milo is not one of “only 3 people banned from twitter.” No the name is not obscene, unless this is 1981, and your organization is named with “The Holy Divinity of Christs Evangelicals.” No milo doesn’t attack people, he simply has a complete disdain for politically correct culture. No Gamergate didn’t start in 2012(time machines don’t exist).
No Gamergate didn’t attack people, though some of their “targets” have been shown to be serial harassers and doxers. This can be seen in the CON leaks. The worst thing that can be said about Gamergate is that they’ve exposed the seedy underbelly of journalism, and exposed numerous publications that fail to do even basic fact checking or research, and exposed numerous publications that claim to have ethical standards as having none. The best thing, is that they have changed the game journalism industry in both getting dozens of sites to first have clear disclosure policies, followed by having the FTC full clearing the air on “native advertising.”
Diversity also means diversity of thought, you seem to be lacking that going by your own statement. Diversity isn’t always welcoming, and just sometimes it’s downright violent. But having a welcoming atmosphere is always nice. The linked USA Today article contains numerous factual errors that would take too long to break down at this point.
You seem to have skipped that there has been several threats against him, including at least one credible threat. Or that the vast majority of these threats have been linked to the far-left, or regressive left. Whichever one you’d rather use. Let’s round this out with, if students are acting in a manner that’s inherently the same as the regressive right, then it’s time for introspection. And if you’re supporting “safe spaces” “no platforming” or violently protesting, or expressing ideas that are against the 1st amendment(which is the whole point of his tour), see “racism” everywhere, think white people is the problem, and believe that Halloween costumes of “xyz thing” are cultural appropriation. Then he isn’t the problem, you are.