On Thursday, the Young Americans for Freedom at the University of Alabama (UA YAF) hosted a “Change My Mind” debate table despite numerous death threats against the organization.
Earlier in February, UA YAF hosted a similar table with the topic of “Deport Every Illegal” that resulted in the organization’s chairman receiving numerous death threats.
Thursday, UA YAF brought a new topic, “Men can’t be women, change my mind,” to the Student Center Lawn, sparking multiple conversations. UAPD officers were present to maintain security at the event.
“Tyrants win when you let their shouting shut you down,” said Isabella Dini, UA YAF spokesperson. “Are there safety concerns? Absolutely. But if we roll over now, who’s to say what they’ll try to stop us from saying next time?”
Dini also said that UA YAF plans to continue hosting these events alongside its regular schedule, despite ongoing threats.
Rehder Myhre, UA YAF outreach director, said it’s important to host these debates.
“It allows people who don’t interact with politics typically to learn or talk about these topics, or to see that common sense still exists on campus," Myhre emphasized.
Throughout the event, UA YAF had about a dozen students sit down and talk for the three hours the table was out. UA YAF outreach director Greg Grimshaw also said that over 100 students, staff and visitors stopped by to listen and learn during the event.
“I saw this event as an opportunity to push back against the gender ideology that's been increasingly pushed into daily life,” said Grimshaw.
Grimshaw also said that it was most important to protect children who were “being given harmful puberty blockers” or “encouraged to get permanent life-altering surgeries” in some areas.
UA YAF noted that, despite the equipment being reserved, the UA Student Center and MySource (the UA student organization office) withdrew permission to use the sound equipment at the event.
“UA cited security concerns with using microphones and speakers at our event, and we were told it would conflict with another SGA-related event in the area that never happened,” said Grimshaw.
Trenton Buffenbarger is a senior at the University of Alabama and is the Chairman of the UA Young Americans for Freedom.
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