Controversial panel and fundraiser hosted by groups largely consisting of Democrats and gay people
A recent event at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology focused on concerns about gender transitioning and a fundraiser at a nearby restaurant after the panel drew a large protest and calls for a boycott.
The “Born in the Right Body: Law and Learning Forum” at MIT on May 18 was a collaboration between LGB Courage Coalition and DIAG, or Democrats for an Informed Approach to Gender, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting “core liberal values.”
DIAG states online the Democratic Party should continue representing liberal values, but base its conclusions in “biological reality.” LGB Courage Coalition is composed of same-sex attracted individuals from across belief systems “concerned about the current state of gender medicine.”
Prior to the event, the ACLU and a group called 603 Equity lobbied MIT, Eventbrite, and a Cambridge restaurant hosting a fundraiser for the groups after the panel, to cancel the event. The cancellation effort stemmed from the ACLU’s objection to the groups’ views on “pediatric gender medicine.” Neither the ACLU nor 603 Equity responded to The College Fix’s requests for comment.
While the panel event at MIT and the subsequent fundraiser at the Glass House restaurant still took place, the latter drew a large protest of more than a hundred people.
Demonstrators gathered across the street from the event’s dinner and screamed “shut it down,” “f*** your dinner, f*** your hate” and “our lives are not for debate,” as recorded by attendees. Signs hoisted at the protest included “All Transphobes are Fascists” and “Pluck Your Eyes Out.”
An organizer of the protests explained it was in response to the event’s defense of “patriarchal cis-heteronormative society,” in a video taken by “Sidewalk Steve,” an opponent of “the medicalization of gender-confused children.”
As supporters walked into the fundraiser, they were booed and jeered, a video of the protest shows. Several police also stood nearby.
Cambridge vice mayor Marc McGovern also attended the protest, Boston Eater reported. He said “to a cheering crowd that Cambridge is a community that should be safe and welcoming.”
A student organizer with TransMIT called Sunday’s events “horrific,” Cambridge Day reported. “We got a lot of outreach from a lot of people expressing horror at this event,” the student said, adding they plan to encourage the larger Boston community to not host wedding receptions and other events at the restaurant.
Facing a boycott, the Glass House told the outlet: “we do not assume any responsibility for the views of our guests. Hosting a private event at Glass House is not an endorsement of the organizers’ position or opinion. We remain a neutral entity.”
Among the event’s speakers were parental rights attorney Vernadette Broyles, LGB Courage CEO Jamie Reed, author Lisa Selin Davis, whistleblower Sarah Stockton, and Simon Amaya Price, a detransitioner who has spoken at MIT in the past.
As reported by The College Fix last year, Amaya Price originally spoke at MIT due to Berklee College’s opposition to platforming him. At the time, MIT Open Discourse Society supported him in spreading his message.
They continue to stand by him today. Society President Spencer Sindhusen told The College Fix in an interview that he “can’t imagine any reason for the cancellation campaign other than partisan disagreements.” From his view, he said, those disagreements cannot suppress speech at a publicly funded college.
“The content of the event falls within the protection of the First Amendment,” he said. “I think canceling the event would send a chilling message for free speech.”
In an interview with The Fix this week, Amaya Price said the event was “well-attended” despite the protests and attempts to cancel it. He said the event’s organizers had to call the police due to a student disrupting the event without buying a ticket.
Despite the protests, Amaya Price said he hopes to hold more events in the future in collaboration with MIT free speech groups.
Peter Bonilla, executive director of the MIT Free Speech Alliance, shares those sentiments.
“At a time when it needs to show that it is for the free speech rights of all members of its community,” Bonilla said, “ensuring that this event goes forward [was] an easy call for MIT.”
MORE: I am formerly trans. Why won’t my college let me share my story?
IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: Anti-trans protest draws large crowd in Cambridge, Mass., recently / Instagram screenshots
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