Charlie Kirk is the far-right founder of the conservative youth outreach group Turning Point USA. The organization's conferences often feature high profile members of Congress and, on multiple occasions, former President Donald Trump.
In a recent panel, Kirk railed against the participation of transgender athletes in sports, perpetuating the conservative hysteria that trans women are seeking to destroy women's athletics. He particularly focused on Lia Thomas, the trans woman swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania whose success at the sport has prompted transphobic vitriol from conservatives.
Thomas has met all the requirements of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) policy for transgender participants and though she's set records while competing on the women's team, she's also by no means unbeatable.
Thomas won the 500 yard freestyle Division I national championship by less than two seconds, and remains about nine seconds behind the all-time record held by swimmer Katie Ledecky. After that race, Thomas tied for fifth place in the 200 yard freestyle at the NCAA Swimming Championships.
Data analysts have found no significant differences in Thomas' overall swimming performance compared to other women in the sport.
Nevertheless, Charlie Kirk thinks she and athletes like her should be physically prevented from playing sports.
Watch below.
On YouTube, Charlie Kirk calls for men to confront and physically prevent trans student athletes from competinghttps://t.co/D7KdpmVPYY pic.twitter.com/eZ34olnUcA
— Jason Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) March 30, 2022
When speaking about women competing with Thomas, Kirk said:
"This is not your fight. You are a woman. Where are the men? So, here's where I'm really upset is that we believe that men are protectors – protectors of the innocent, protectors of what is the natural law. I'm not going to say that women don't have fight in them. But men need to lead."
Then came his endorsement of physical intimidation:
"And so here is my challenge for every man across America. This is happening in your local school board, it's not enough to showing up to meetings and all this. You need to intervene. You need to show up to the sporting event and be like this is not happening actually. You're not competing against my daughter. She has XX chromosomes, you have XY chromosomes, get off the court, get out of the pool. It's not going to happen anymore."
Social media users condemned Kirk's violent rhetoric.
Violence against trans women is on the rise in America. A rightwing demagogue calling for violence against trans people in front of the Cross is a perversion of Jesus' teachings.
We need to save America and our nation's children from rightwing violence and rightwing hate. https://t.co/lqiENkhl2Z
— Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa ✶ (@CDRosa) March 30, 2022
Charlie Kirk urging men to assault teenage girls. Cool cool. https://t.co/7qray5k0Zc
— Mike Brand (@miketheidealist) March 30, 2022
The facist right continues to mobilize and push towards violence. https://t.co/pQ00IjgGNz
— Olibabba (@Olibabba) March 30, 2022
Some demanded YouTube moderate the video.
WTAF @YouTube
This is NOT ok! https://t.co/L2Yo6c5gCj
— Shawny🦋 (@Shawnrobb72) March 30, 2022
Hey @YouTube what are you doing about this? https://t.co/qagUB9Wpo9
— soɯɐɹ lǝoɾ is going to #PAXEAST (@grimbizzy) March 30, 2022
.@YouTube's community guidelines specifically prohibits:
✔️ "Inciting others to commit violent acts against individuals or a defined group of people"
✔️"Incit[ing] hatred against individuals or groups"
✔️"content uploaded with the intent to shame, deceive or insult a minor" https://t.co/Hm68U4xRxl
— Madeline Peltz (@peltzmadeline) March 30, 2022
For others, it was all too clear the kind of America for which Charlie Kirk longs.
As he shares that he'd like trans student athletes to be confronted, Charlie Kirk makes it clear the type of America that many Republicans desire:
"What I would have loved to see, in a different America, in the 1950's America..."
Please remember this when you vote in 2022. https://t.co/g8VAjBYl37
— Edge (@TheLesson55) March 30, 2022
Charlie Kirk longs for the days when men were lynch mobs. https://t.co/CQwAcPbYIK
— Tâi Siáu-káu (台痟狗) ㄊㄇㄉ 🇳🇫 台灣國 Taiwan 🌏 😷💉💉🍍 (@TimMaddog) March 30, 2022
At least Kirk is honest enough to point to the 1950s as the time when "America was great", because then, men where men & they solved problems the manly way—with their fists. https://t.co/vYVUnUHccc
— Gregory J. Rosmaita - Web Accessibility Guerrilla (@oedipusnj) March 30, 2022
Conservative rhetoric surrounding transgender people continues to become more and more unhinged.