In response to several anti-transgender bills in the Kansas Legislature and the WSU chapter of Turning Point USA’s showing of the controversial film “What is a Woman?,” the campus group Spectrum organized an event aimed at lifting transgender and non-binary people. 

The event featured panelists, who spoke of their experiences being a member of the LGBTQ community. 

“It just had a really great vibe and energy,” Jenny Pearson, professor and Spectrum advisor, said. “The students were super brave in sharing their stories, and it was just great.”

Matt Walsh’s movie has received mixed reviews, as many believe it portrays LGBT members in a harmful light. Walsh, a right-wing political commentator, spends most of the movie talking about gender issues, specifically those relating to trans and non-binary people.

“Turning Point USA showed a film in which the main star of it directly states to (the) camera that inclusive policies are just smoke screens for child predation and sexual assault,” Alex Tackett, one of the panelists at Spectrum, said.

Spectrum chose to hold their event at the same time as Turning Point USA to draw attention away from the movie.

“Rather than encouraging students to fight to get the event stopped, which I feel like would have been unsuccessful,” Pearson said. “Our goal was to offer an alternative that would be a better reflection of the values of our university.”

The Sunflower reached out to Turning Point USA’s Wichita State president, who declined to discuss Spectrum’s intentions.

Some have raised concerns that Turning Point USA’s screening of the movie violates WSU’s policy of nondiscrimination, which states that the university “does not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, status as a veteran, genetic information or disability.”

“I do understand how a lot of people feel, like they’re directly being attacked,” Damaris Mireles, Spectrum vice president, said. “At the same time, I do understand that the university has a policy of free speech, and if they’re (Turning Point USA) not allowed to say their piece, then we wouldn’t be allowed to share our piece either.”

Kansas has seen a wave of bills proposed to the legislature, regarding LGBTQ issues, in the last few months. 

Some of these proposals include attempting to prevent a physician from providing gender-affirming care for a minor, preventing transgender women from competing in high school/college sports and blocking state funding from being used in drag shows.

Despite Spectrum’s event being put together in just a few days, around 80 people turned out.

“I think it’s important to note at the event that there were a lot of faculty and staff there who really do want to support our trans and non-binary students,” Pearson said. “Even though the event was put together in days … I think was an important reflection of that.”

*This story has been updated to correct the language used for one of the Kansas bills mentioned