Anti-Gay Speaker At Penn State Sparks Protest

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA — Penn State administrators and U.S. Sen. Robert Casey are blasting a student organization's invitation to a controversial right-wing media personality to speak on campus Wednesday.

The student group, Uncensored America, invited Milo Yiannopoulos to deliver a speech titled "Pray the Gay Away." The organization's website describes Yiannopoulos as a New York Times best-selling author and ex-gay global political sensation who "will talk about free speech, faith, conversion therapy, hair style and more."

The Anti-Defamation League describes Yiannopoulos as a "misogynistic, racist, xenophobic, transphobic troll" who has launched trolling attacks on women, Black Lives Matter activists, transgender people and Muslims.

Casey on Monday issued a statement on the event, saying he was dismayed and wanted to "condemn the hateful and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric that this event promotes."

"Every student deserves a safe environment to learn and this event is antithetical to Penn State and our commonwealth’s values," he said. "To the LGBTQ community at Penn State: I stand with you and I will continue to fight in Congress for you and your rights."

An online petition calling for Penn State to withdraw the invitation to Yiannopoulos had received nearly 11,500 signatures as of Monday afternoon.

Penn State administrators last week took the rare step of publicly denouncing a person invited to speak at the university, stating on the school website, "We share the profound dismay others have already expressed in response to Yiannopoulos's forthcoming appearance here.

"Yet ... Uncensored America has the undeniable Constitutional right to sponsor this presentation on our campus. The university lacks the right to do anything to stop it. Student organizations may select the speakers they invite to campus without the university’s endorsement, or even with the university’s displeasure, as is the case here."

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