Riley Gaines, the former University of Kentucky swimmer turned conservative activist, was scheduled to speak on the Twin Cities campus Wednesday night. Protests were planned. The event was hosted by Turning Point USA, the conservative group founded by Charlie Kirk, which has a chapter at the U. It was billed as "Pick Up the Mic" and set for 6:30 p.m. in the Coffman Memorial Union Theater, with tickets handled through a Turning Point USA registration link.
UMN Students for a Democratic Society announced a 6 p.m. protest on social media, timed to start before the doors. "Turn out to show Riley Gaines and TPUSA that their reactionary, transphobic ideology isn't welcome here!" the group wrote. It also said, "Shame on UMN for platforming her bigotry while hiding behind 'political neutrality.'"
Turning Point USA didn't back down. "We're used to petulant tantrums when conservatives exercise our free speech on campus," a representative for the group said. "The event will happen, and they'll have to deal with it. The school doesn't belong to them."
The university's response was short. It also restated its commitment to "free speech and the robust exchange of ideas." That's the standard line for student-group speaker events. That is the "political neutrality" SDS was objecting to.
Gaines was a 12-time NCAA All-American at Kentucky. She became a national figure in 2022, when she tied for 5th place with a transgender swimmer at the NCAA Women's Swimming Championships. Since then she has campaigned against transgender athletes competing in women's sports.
Her campus visits have turned tense before. At a 2023 Turning Point USA event at San Francisco State University, Gaines was barricaded inside a school building for about 3 hours after a reported assault during protests there.
