“Then, on November 30th, a professor canceled class due to ‘a presentation by a prominent anti-trans activist.’ This ‘activist’ was Chloe Cole. Also reacting, the U of U’s LGBTQ Resource Center and Women’s Resource Center held a ‘healing circle’ with a sound bath and tarot card readings. The university’s “Armed Queers” group also called for a protest of Chloe’s speech.”
Chloe Cole, an activist known for speaking out against “Gender-Affirming” care, recently delivered a speech at the University of Utah on November 30th, hosted by Young Americans for Freedom (YAF). Despite the straightforward nature of Chloe’s message, the reactions from activist groups to her appearance at U of U present a perception that her presence is a danger to transgender individuals.
The events leading up to Chloe’s speech begin as far back as November 1st when the U of U YAF chapter organized a watch party for the film “Damaged: The Transing of America’s Kids.” This documentary explores the experiences of people who regret their decision to transition. “Mecha De U of U” posted on Instagram, labeling the event “transphobic,” and called for an “emergency protest” of the screening. The protest of the event was successful and caused the watch party to be canceled about 20 minutes into the film due to attendees being unable to hear the documentary.
Then, on November 30th, a professor canceled class due to “a presentation by a prominent anti-trans activist.” This “activist” was Chloe Cole. Also reacting, the U of U’s LGBTQ Resource Center and Women’s Resource Center held a “healing circle” with a sound bath and tarot card readings. The university’s “Armed Queers” group also called for a protest of Chloe’s speech. This reaction to Chloe Cole’s speech reflects a leftist belief that her mere presence is life-threatening to them. Whatever Chloe is sharing at her events, these activists truly believe it could hurt them. What exactly did Chloe say in her speech that required classes to be canceled, a healing circle for those affected by her presence, and an attempt at shutting down the event through protesting?
Josh Carr, chairman of YAF at BYU, attended Chloe Cole’s speech and shared his experience and insight with the Chronicle. While the protest called for by “Armed Queers” was meant to start hours before the event, the protest only managed to begin about half an hour before the speech started. Even then, the protest only managed to pull in a crowd of about 30 to 40 people chanting slogans; Josh related that the protestors were more interested in repeating their slogans than discussing their beliefs. Josh also shared how the police presence outnumbered the protesters, with officers inside the building and outside with the protesters. He had the chance to speak with a few officers and thanked them for their help, with officers sharing they were happy to protect free speech.
Josh also shared that Chloe’s speech was nothing like the activists made it out to be. Chloe Cole isn’t a right-wing activist or a conservative speaker; her message goes beyond political divides and focuses on what is right and wrong, Josh explained. She shared her struggles with transgenderism, detailing the irreversible harm she underwent and the emotional toll it took on her. Yet despite these experiences, she has remained hopeful in sharing her story. Far from promoting harm, Chloe has aimed to help individuals overcome the ideology that has an iron grip on their minds.
So why won’t these activists listen to Chloe Cole? Josh shared that these protesters were genuine about what they believed; they honestly thought Chloe’s speech would hurt them, possibly even kill them. This thought process isn’t something these activists came up with on their own, Josh stated, but is an ideology handed down to them by leftist elites through professors and the media; they have bought into the lie that someone like Chloe is trying to kill them.
The problem with this belief is it is nearly unfalsifiable. Why would an individual who claims to be transgender listen to people they believe have such hateful intent? This fallacy is not a bug but a feature of leftist ideology, and overcoming the belief that someone like Chloe has malicious intent towards your well-being is the first step to escaping the cult of transgenderism. Josh shared, “I have no problem with them protesting, but instead of screaming, why don’t you come down and listen and have a dialogue.” This dialogue could help them down the same path that Chloe Cole has shared in her speeches. Unfortunately, some prefer to keep these people trapped in this self-destructive ideology. Chloe’s perseverance and boldness are qualities we must have; encouraging open dialogue is essential to help individuals escape the confines of this ideology.
Written by: Jax McKinney
Contributor at the Cougar Chronicle
The opinions in this article are those of the author.
The Cougar Chronicle is an independent student-run newspaper and is not affiliated with Brigham Young University or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
