Loomer USC Counterprotest

Tonight, April 18th at 8pm, Laura Loomer, a self-proclaimed white supremacist and “proud Islamophobe,” is coming to speak on the USC campus under the false pretext of free speech. As an intersectional organization with many USC student members, OAT strongly condemns the decision to host such a divisive figure. 

Loomer has less than nothing to offer in terms of new or compelling ideas, and her presence serves only to distract students right before the busy time of finals. Since the oppression of religious groups and promotion of white supremacy is intimately linked with the mechanisms of transphobia, we publicly declare our intent to protest as an expression of our values and those of the Carolinian Creed. 

Although Loomer and Uncensored America will undoubtedly frame this protest as an attack on free speech, it remains an undisputed fact that Loomer's point of view is widely available online and she herself is a widely accessible public figure with a book deal. The real “cancel culture” is the ongoing genocide against trans people, particularly the wave of bills to ban LGBTQ and other books in conservative areas, control the free speech of teachers in schools, and control the gender expression of countless trans people across the nation.

Many who promote Loomer’s narrative are unlikely to be swayed, but we hope our response may sway others with less stake in the situation, and demonstrate support for those threatened by Loomer’s presence on campus. Regardless of who the mouthpiece is, speakers who spout fascist talking points will not be welcome on campus, and we will always be there to oppose them.