West Texas A&M Faculty Calls For Vote Of No Confidence In President After Canceling Drag Show
Faculty members of West Texas A&M University are calling for a vote of no confidence in President Walter Wendler.
Wendler's primary crime seems to be that he canceled a drag show scheduled for campus.
Drag related issues have increasingly become part of the national conversation, especially those that are targeted toward children.
Several states have enacted legislation designed to protect children, which has naturally drawn protests from celebrities.
READ: LIZZO BRINGS DRAG QUEENS ON STAGE TO PROTEST TENNESSEE LAW
The Texas Tribune reported on a resolution written by faculty senate leaders which said Wendler was running the school based on his religious beliefs. The resolution accused him of “divisive misogynistic, homophobic and non-inclusive rhetoric that stands in stark contrast with the Core Values of the university.”
It's unclear if the faculty leaders would present the same accusations against a president leading the school based on atheism, denigrating conservative viewpoints and promote anti-women's sports beliefs.
West Texas A&M University Campus. (Photo credit: West Texas A&M University Website)
Canceling Speakers Pales In Comparison To Canceling Drag Shows, Apparently
The faculty senate president, Ashley Pinkham, wrote in a letter that they "believe that the mission to provide intellectually challenging, critically reflective, and inclusive academic programs at a well-respected, high-quality institution of higher education is at jeopardy. We believe we must act now to restore the reputation of West Texas A&M University.”
While the vote will not necessarily lead to Wendler's firing, it is representative of a broader issue on college campuses.
Faculty and individuals at major universities often have no problem calling for speakers to be cancelled, dismissed and shouted down.
Former college swimmer Riley Gaines, as just one recent example, was physically and verbally assaulted at San Francisco State University. All because she wants to protect women's sports.
Somehow, the faculty senate at that school seemingly has no problem with that behavior. In fact, the school's president said it was "deeply traumatic" for the trans community.
READ: SFSU PRESIDENT: RILEY GAINES INCIDENT “DEEPLY TRAUMATIC” FOR TRANS COMMUNITY
When canceling the event, Wendler explained he believed drag shows "are derisive, divisive and demoralizing misogyny, no matter the stated intent."
"Does a drag show preserve a single thread of human dignity? I think not. As a performance exaggerating aspects of womanhood (sexuality, femininity, gender), drag shows stereotype women in cartoon-like extremes for the amusement of others and discriminate against womanhood. Any event which diminishes an individual or group through such representation is wrong," he explained at the time.
But university employees can't simply disagree with that assessment. Instead, they're willing to proceed to a vote of no-confidence.
The real lesson of this story is what provokes university faculty to act. And it's always, always, defending progressive ideology above all else.