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Purdue faculty senate affirms support of LGBTQ+ students ahead of Michael Knowles visit

The Purdue University faculty senate passed a resolution affirming their support of LGBTQ+ students. (FILE PHOTO WBAA News/Ben Thorp)
The Purdue University faculty senate passed a resolution affirming their support of LGBTQ+ students. (FILE PHOTO WBAA News/Ben Thorp)

The Purdue University faculty senate passed a resolution affirming support of LGBTQ students ahead of conservative commentator Michael Knowles’s visit to campus this week.

Knowles recently made national headlines after calling for the eradication of “transgenderism.”

The faculty senate briefly suspended its rules in order to pass the resolution, which supports a similar resolution passed by the Purdue Graduate Student Government earlier this month.

The resolution doesn’t directly name Knowles, instead saying the “proposed invited campus speaker incites existential harm towards Boilermakers.”

Denise Whitford is chair of the equity, diversity, and inclusion committee. She said the resolution acknowledges the university’s free speech policy – but faculty should not use that policy to abdicate their role as mentors.

“The Purdue University Senate would call on all administrators, faculty, staff and students to exercise their responsibility to oppose and condemn the use of Purdue as a platform to incite existential harm towards community members,” she said.

Senate Vice-Chair Brian Leung spoke in support of the resolution.

“The resolution before us today merely asks us to be personal and public mentors in spite of perceived politics,” he said.

The resolution passed with 54 votes in favor and 4 opposed.

Michael Knowles is expected to be on campus Thursday.