Campus Censorship Attempts Targeted Michael Knowles More Than Any Speaker In 2023

 Students and faculty at American universities attempted to censor Daily Wire host Michael Knowles more than any other campus speaker in 2023, according to a database compiled by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).

Knowles appeared three times in the free speech organization's "Campus Disinvitation Database" last year, as students and faculty at the University at Buffalo, the University of Pittsburgh and Purdue University tried to cancel the Daily Wire host's speaking engagements. The three canceled campaigns against Knowles were in reaction to her views on transgender ideology.

However, none of the censorship efforts against Knowles were successful, and the podcast host spoke at all three universities, while protesters stood outside his events, calling him a "transphobe".

Daily Wire host Matt Walsh, women's sports advocate Riley Goins and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk each appeared twice in FIRE's "Campus Disinvitation Database" for 2023. None of the censorship efforts against Walsh, Gaines, or Kirk were successful.

Knowles' speech in Buffalo in March caused a stir as he came to campus for the event and said that "transgenderism should be completely eliminated from public life." LGBTQ activists took Knowles' comments – where he called for culture to reject trans "ideology" – as a genocidal threat.

He responded to leftist outrage over his remarks at the time, saying, "No even moderately reasonable person could interpret my words as violence of any kind."

The speech occurred despite calls for the University at Buffalo to cancel it, as the university president said he could not stop the student group from inviting Knowles because the group was following university guidelines and state laws.

Shortly after the Buffalo speech, Knowles attended an event at the University of Pittsburgh, which resulted in a greater response. Within a month of Knowles' speech, Gaines and Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips also spoke at events on campus, upsetting some students and faculty, who circulated a petition asking the university to ban them from speaking. . But Knowles' speech, as well as Gaines and Phillips' event at Pitt, went on as planned.

Knowles then gave a speech at Purdue University, where the commentator again addressed transgenderism. Some students at Purdue organized a protest against Knowles, while others hosted a block party, which included a drag show, "to end transphobia."

While FIRE does not claim that its database is exhaustive, the list revealed that all but one of the 27 censorship campaigns against speakers on campuses were efforts by the left to silence right-leaning speakers. Other notable speakers whose events were targeted by the left include Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, author James Lindsay, and conservative commentator Liz Wheeler.

The FIRE list also includes federal judge Kyle Duncan, whose speech at Stanford University last March was interrupted by students who yelled at him when he tried to present his prepared remarks. When Duncan sought an administrator to get the situation under control, DEI Administrator Tyrion Steinbach defended the disruption, telling the judge that "For many people here, your work has caused harm."

In another example of campus rejection documented by FIRE, an event in May featuring Representative Ron Johnson (R-WI) and State Representative Dave Murphy was canceled at the Medical College of Wisconsin following petitions from students and faculty.