Microaggressions, Free Speech, and Political Correctness: A Growing Dialogue on the Trinity University Campus

The April 27 meeting on political correctness
Photo by Nipuni Gomes

This is Part 1 of a two-part series.

By Nipuni Gomes

Toward the end of the past spring semester, amid the stress of preparing for final exams, about 30 Trinity University students still found the time to attend a meeting regarding political correctness and free speech.

They engaged in a heated debate at the April 27 meeting.

“Political correctness is nonsense. We need to throw it out, and we need to go ‘bye-bye,’” said Reece Ringnald, a sophomore and member of Tigers for Liberty at that time, but was later dismissed from the organization.

“We were based off of free speech in this country,” Ringnald said, calling political correctness “a manufactured term.”

His view was challenged by other students at the meeting. “If you’re not able to respect where the other person is coming from, you are not going to be able to convince them of your opinion,” said Benjamin Collinger, a first year student and president of Trinity Diversity Connection.

“I just don’t care!” Ringnald replied.

“Then why are you here?” several other attendees asked in unison.

Microaggressions, Free Speech, and Political Correctness: A Growing Dialogue on the Trinity University Campus

Trinity University Dean of Students David Tuttle
(far left) meeting with students from
the Black Student Union on April 22
Photo by Nipuni Gomes

This is Part 2 of a two-part series.

By Nipuni Gomes

In early April, Tigers for Liberty, a student organization for conservative, libertarian-minded individuals, invited British journalist, entrepreneur, and controversial fringe internet icon Milo Yiannopoulos to speak about microaggressions in Laurie Auditorium.

In his lecture, Yiannopoulos articulated a number of slurs against people of color and feminists, and argued that microaggressions do not, in fact, exist. The lecture was attended by members of both the Trinity community and the wider San Antonio area. Many attendees cheered and laughed during the talk, and named it an exercise of free speech.

“Milo sort of acted like an unnecessary battering ram in that everyone knows who the club is now, so in terms of getting name recognition up, he was excellent. In terms of his lecture, I wasn’t a fan of his lecture,” said Manfred Wendt, a first year student and President of Tigers for Liberty.