On March 25 the Christopher Newport University’s Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) hosted an event in McMurran Hall. Former swimmer for the University of Kentucky Kaitlynn Wheeler addressed issues regarding transgender athletes competing in women’s sports. Wheeler, an Ambassador for The Riley Gaines Center at the Leadership Institute, advocates for upholding women’s right to privacy, safety and equal opportunity, as stated in her ambassador bio. The event quickly caused discourse on CNU’s Yik Yak, with many students anonymously posting their distaste with Wheeler’s appearance on campus.
Sitting outside of McMurran 101, students were protesting the event with posters. Junior Alli Butler held a sign saying “NO ONE is FREE when others are OPPRESSED.”
“I understand that CNU wants to be equal to both political parties on campus, but I feel like this is crossing a line,” she said after being asked about her general thoughts regarding the event. “This is discriminating against people who exist and are happy here, and they’re now being forced to feel unsafe because they know their peers hate them. As an institution, [CNU] shouldn’t be spreading this message.”
Butler wasn’t the only student protesting the event. Seniors Jed Stephenson, Stella Burnett, Alysia Alexander, sophomore Cooper Bowden and freshman Mia Plude sat outside the lecture hall.
Wheeler advocates for her younger sister, Abbigail, who was “exposed to a man in the women’s locker room at her local YMCA in Springfield, Illinois.” Abbigail, who is also an ambassador, claims that after she spoke out the YMCA kicked her off of the team and banned the Wheeler family from the location. Stephenson disagrees with Kaitlynn’s claims about Abbigail’s story and how YAF marketed the event.
In a 2023 Washington Times article that discussed Abbigail’s protest, Abbigail clarified that she didn’t see the person without clothes nor with exposed genitalia, contrary to some reports. A report was never filed with the YMCA and no investigation took place. Similarly, Lou Bart, the communications director of Springfield’s YMCA during this time, said accusations of Abbigail being banned and removed from the YMCA are false. According to the Times article, “[t]he swimmer’s family informed the YMCA through email that they would be leaving the YMCA and their swimmer would no longer participate on the swim team.”
Stephenson discussed this article after expressing how Wheeler’s event was not attempting to inform students of an actual story, but rather trying to demonize a group of people.
“Misconstruing both of those parts of Abbigail’s story on all of the material that was used to market for the event at CNU leads me to believe that the speaker (or at the very least those who organized the event at CNU) were doing so in bad faith,” Stephenson put in an email a day after the event. He shared the link to the Washington Times article and expanded on his statement from the night before.
“I understand that Kaitlynn receives monetary compensation for telling this story, so of course she would do it,” he wrote. “As for those at CNU responsible for setting up the event, I hope you find peace.”
The conversation of controversial events is not a recent development. Last semester, Students for Life (SFL) hosted Lydia Taylor Davis to discuss the pro-life generation and anti-abortion themes. SFL was notably tabling outside of the lecture room as students started to make their way inside. Butler remarked on the SFL event, which opened the discussion of political speakers on campus.
“If CNU wants political speakers on campus, they should be actual politicians or government representatives and not influencers spreading hate speech.”
Those who protested the event aren’t the only ones who agree. Anonymous posts on Yik Yak share similar thoughts and have been since last October. Davis, although a spokesperson and social media coordinator for Students for Life, has no political experience. Davis reached recognition after a TikTok stitch to one of her videos by a popular creator went viral. Similarly, Wheeler gained popularity after former teammate Riley Gaines was recognized by President Donald Trump for her activism towards creating “safer environments for women”, as stated on her center’s webpage.
Plude, one of the students counter protesting, shared their distaste Tuesday evening over YAF’s event being considered a Presidential Leadership Program Discovery Event. “We talk so much in our leadership classes about how leaders need to connect with individuals and recognize their followers as human.”
Bowden, a member of the Young Democratic Socialists of America at CNU, opened a discussion by commenting on the Strategic Compass and its core values. In a recent CNUpdate, President Kelly informed students on implementing the Strategic Compass. In the email, he emphasized the Compass’ priority of “inclusion and belonging” and highlighted a direct quote from the Compass’ website: “Our university will provide opportunities and embrace all who wish to belong and thrive in a community committed to inclusion, accessibility, and excellence.”
President Kelly continued to discuss how a new Inclusive Excellence Council is considering adjustments in the language and scope of programs that are key to CNU’s culture. However, he clarified that what won’t be changing is his goal for CNU to become the most inclusive university in Virginia.
Bowden shared his concerns after commenting on the Strategic Compass. He explained that allowing these “Astro-TERF speakers”–a pun on astroturf (‘fake’ grass) and the acronym TERF (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist)–on campus makes it less of a safe space for marginalized communities who are already at high risk of harassment and suicide.
After the event concluded, The Captain’s Log was able to collect afterward thoughts from a few students who listened to Wheeler.
“I tried to come into this with an open mind, as a STEM major,” senior Kaeden Yoder said, “but none of [Wheeler’s] points are inherently biological at all.”
Throughout the lecture, Wheeler had a homemade sign taped behind her which displayed XX ≠ XY, the signs of female and male chromosomes, respectively. The symbol also represents Riley Gaines’ Project BOYcott. Yoder asked her about genetic abnormalities, such as Kleinfelter syndrome and Turner syndrome, which he explained. Yoder claimed Wheeler ignored his questioning and diverted to “males are males and females are females.”
Another student, freshman Ben Gilman, shared that he agrees with not having trans females in women’s sports.
“There’s an issue with records and medals being taken away from women who try so hard,” he said. However, Gilman disagrees with how Wheeler expresses her message. By tying it to politics, she messes up the message of protecting women. Gilman believes that whenever the subject diverted from sports, such as politics, Wheeler couldn’t articulate anything well.
The Captain’s Log was unable to sit in on Kaitlynn Wheeler’s lecture due to conflicting time schedules. When asked if a staff writer could listen for the remaining 15 minutes, a nearby officer declined entrance. CNU’s YAF thanked everyone who showed up in an Instagram post the following day. The caption declared free speech from all perspectives is back on our campus.
