The authoritarian left is escalating its war on free speech. The right to freely express one’s views has stood as one of the most fundamental pillars of American society. Unfortunately, some on the hard left have decided that protecting this right is problematic – especially when it comes to speech that contradicts their ideology.
This appears to be what is motivating the Department of Education (DOE) under President Joe Biden to launch a civil rights investigation into New College of Florida after one of its trustees, Christopher Rufo, committed the unpardonable sin of misgendering someone.
RedState’s Bonchie reported:
Joe Biden's Department of Education has opened a civil rights investigation into Christopher Rufo and New College of Florida. The alleged violations cited included "misgendering" and the closing of the school's diversity, equity, and inclusion department.
Rufo shared the news on social media and posted some of the "evidence" being used. In one example, he is accused of "misgendering" the school's former DEI head, Yoleidy Rosario-Hernandez (a biological woman), who claims to go by fake pronouns "ze/zir." Rufo reportedly called her a "her" and a "she."
In a post on his Substack, Rufo explained other aspects of the investigation:
The investigation stems from a complaint by unnamed “students, faculty, and staff” alleging, in part, that the college’s trustees and administrators violated civil rights law by removing “gender neutral” signage from bathrooms, defunding the DEI and gender studies programs, and “misgendering” the former DEI director, who uses “ze/zir” pseudo-pronouns.
Rufo also argued that this effort “is a brazen attempt to subvert the democratic governance of New College and entrench left-wing ideological programs under the guise of civil rights law.”
What makes this development even more critical is the potential for criminal charges. As Bonchie pointed out:
According to the Department of Education's website, if its civil rights investigation finds fault and the targeted parties do not comply with whatever ruling is made (including actions to be taken), a criminal referral can then be made to the DOJ.
If this is the case, then when drawn out to its logical conclusion, it means the federal government could end up sending men with guns and badges to arrest people and throw them in cages for not adhering to the precepts of wokeism. This is leaps and bounds more dangerous than cancel culture, is it not?
This move on the part of the Biden administration is not merely about the use of pronouns. Rather, it signifies a much broader issue and underscores a shift towards criminalizing speech that does not conform to the mandates of the authoritarian left.
For starters, mandating the use of specific language is a direct assault on the First Amendment, which is intended to protect our freedom to freely express our ideas. It is meant to protect all speech, even that which is unpopular or offensive. The government should not be in the business of deciding what people can and cannot say under the threat of punishment. It especially should not be allowed to do this under the guise of protecting civil rights, which have nothing to do with how one feels about gender ideology.
As Rufo suggested, this probe is not about ensuring justice. Instead, it is a weaponization of the state to advance and protect far-leftist ideological perspectives. It is not at all in line with the notion that natural and constitutional rights should be defended. From where I sit, this story is a harbinger of what is to come. It is another step towards criminalizing certain types of speech, just like what is happening in countries like Canada and the United Kingdom. If successful, it could pave the way for authoritarian leftists to use the world’s most dangerous weapon against their political opponents: The United States government.
We have already seen how folks on the left are more than willing to wield the power of the state as a cudgel against those who do not share their views – especially when it concerns former President Donald Trump and his supporters. There can be no doubt that these people wish to expand their efforts to control those who do not think as they do. When it comes to the ongoing debate over speech, this story will be one to watch closely.