NYU students rally against transphobic speaker Jim Campbell

New York, NY – On September 10, students from New York University Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) rallied outside NYU’s D’Agostino Hall on September 10 to protest the appearance of Jim Campbell, chief legal counsel of the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).

Campbell came to NYU to speak in support of the Supreme Court’s June decision concerning state restrictions on transgender athletes’ participation in women and girls’ sports. The ADF has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Throughout the afternoon, protesters chanted, “Say it loud, say it clear, Campbell’s not welcome here!” and “Out of the closet, into the streets!” The chants reflected protesters’ opposition to Campbell’s appearance and their belief that providing a platform to speakers advocating restrictions on transgender rights does not represent the values of many students on campus.

Students and passersby stopped to watch the demonstration, with some taking photos and videos, listening to speeches, or joining the chants. Others expressed their support for the protesters.

During the rally, NYU SDS member Zaara Ahmed asked the crowd, “Does this represent us?” Protesters responded with a resounding “No!” Ahmed then asked, “Do we want to provide a platform to someone whose work advocates to remove trans people from public life?” Again, protesters answered in unison.

The exchange captured the central message of the demonstration: protesters argued that NYU’s decision to platform Campbell conflicts with their vision of a campus where transgender students can live and participate in public life without discrimination.

NYU SDS member and rally emcee Ebtesham Ahmed emphasized that the fight would not end with the demonstration, stating that “we will continue to fight back against transphobes on our campus.” They stressed the importance of continuing to defend transgender rights and connected the present struggle to the history of transgender people being pushed into hiding and excluded from public life.

As the rally came to a close, protesters returned to their chants while organizers called on students to stay organized. The demonstration ended with a message that the fight against restrictions on transgender rights, and against the platforming of speakers who protesters view as advocating those restrictions, would continue beyond this rally.

#NewYorkNY #NY #StudentMovement #LGBTQ #SDS