Penn State is platforming Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes.

The text reads, "Tell President Bendapudi: No Hate at Penn State!" It is on a red background with a photo of Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes. The COC logo is in the top righthand corner.

John,

Penn State is hosting an event on campus named “Stand Back and Stand By,” scheduled for this Monday, October 24.1 If the title sounds familiar, it should; it’s the refrain President Trump used to call up the Proud Boys in his fight to overturn the democratic process during the 2020 presidential election.2 The featured guest of the event? 

Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes. They’re even paying him with student fees, collected from some of the very same people McInnes and his Proud Boys wage violence against. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom to harm. Penn State is under no obligation to facilitate and amplify the harm that McInnes and the Proud Boys encourage and carry out. 

John, the event is THIS MONDAY, October 24, and we need all hands on deck to send a message to Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. Will you join us?

SEND AN EMAIL TO PENN STATE’S ADMINISTRATION AND TELL THEM TO CANCEL THE "STAND BACK AND STAND BY" EVENT!

The Proud Boys is a white nationalist terrorist organization as designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the national governments of Canada and New Zealand.3,4,5 The Proud Boys call themselves “Western chauvinists” who are “anti-political correctness” and “anti-white guilt.”6 Though they deny holding racist or anti-Semitic views, the Proud Boys and the group’s founder are known for anti-Muslim, misogynistic, and white nationalist commentary and activities that often lead to real-world violence.7 Most recently, six members of the organization, including former national chairman Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, have been charged with seditious conspiracy and other offenses due to their involvement in the January 6th insurrection. In their investigation, the US government found that the active Proud Boys members “conspired to prevent, hinder and delay the certification of the Electoral College vote, and to oppose by force the authority of the government of the United States.”8 A confirmed Proud Boys member attended both the deadly January 6th insurrection and the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, VA, and Jason Kessler, a former Proud Boy member, organized the deadly Unite the Right event.9,10 Where the Proud Boys go, hatred and violence follow. Given the violent history of the organization, Penn State must outright condemn the Proud Boys and their hateful ideology.

Hate speech has serious consequences, including inciting real-world violence and encouraging online targeting and harassment. When a powerful person or institution directly or indirectly sanctions hate leaders like McInnes, violence is far more likely.11 Simply put, hatred should never be platformed. That’s why we need you to join us in calling on Penn State President Bendapudi to cancel the event and enact a policy prohibiting anyone with ties to alt-right and white nationalist groups from appearing in Penn State-sponsored events.

TELL PRESIDENT BENDAPUDI: NO HATE AT PENN STATE!

 Until justice is real, 
—Color Of Change HQ

 

References: 

  1. Emily Bloch, “Proud Boys leader Gavin McInnes is headed to Penn State for a comedy show. Students are pushing back.,” the Philadelphia Inquirer, Oct 13, 2022, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/368789?t=7&akid=53886%2E4731121%2E-cMNZU

  2. Sheera Frenkel and Annie Karni, “Proud Boys celebrate Trump’s ‘stand by’ remark about them at the debate,” New York Times, September 29, 2020, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/368790?t=9&akid=53886%2E4731121%2E-cMNZU

  3. “Proud Boys,” Southern Poverty Law Center, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/368791?t=11&akid=53886%2E4731121%2E-cMNZU

  4. The Government of Canada, “Currently listed entities,” Public Safety Canada, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/368792?t=13&akid=53886%2E4731121%2E-cMNZU

  5. Nick Perry, “New Zealand designates Proud Boys a terrorist organization,” Associated Press, June 30, 2022, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/368793?t=15&akid=53886%2E4731121%2E-cMNZU

  6. “Proud Boys,” Southern Poverty Law Center, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/368791?t=17&akid=53886%2E4731121%2E-cMNZU

  7. Center for International Security and Cooperation, “Proud Boys,” Stanford University, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/368794?t=19&akid=53886%2E4731121%2E-cMNZU

  8. “Leader of Proud Boys and Four Other Members Indicted in Federal Court For Seditious Conspiracy and Other Offenses Related to U.S. Capitol Breach,” US Department of Justice, June 6, 2022, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/368795?t=21&akid=53886%2E4731121%2E-cMNZU

  9. “Unite the Right: Four Years Later, Major Players Still Grappling with Fallout,” ADL, August 10, 2021, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/368796?t=23&akid=53886%2E4731121%2E-cMNZU

  10. “Jason Kessler,” Southern Law Poverty Center, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/368797?t=25&akid=53886%2E4731121%2E-cMNZU

  11. Benjamin Newman et. al., “The Trump Effect: An Experimental Investigation of the Emboldening Effect of Racially Inflammatory Elite Communication,” British Journal of Political Science, February 17, 2020, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/368798?t=27&akid=53886%2E4731121%2E-cMNZU