The conservative activist Charlie Kirk asks UF students to “prove me wrongly”

Mejia asked Kirk about his thoughts on the queer community and said he did not believe in a distinction between gender and sex. “You can say that you are (a woman) and I would say you are,” said Mejia.

Kirk countered that most transgender women are men with “autogynephilia”, a concept that a male finds sexual excitement from the thought of themselves as a woman. A literature overview of 2020 showed that research generally refutes the idea that the transgender identity is based on sexual preferences.

Mejia was regularly booed during the entire debate, especially when he said he would be okay with a transgender woman who uses the toilet of women.

“Politics is taken too seriously,” said Mejia in an interview after the debate. “It’s hurtful for the simple man.”

Kirk’s presence was also noticed by a spokesman who visited the place but had no interest in debating with him.

Erik Dressel, a 64-year-old preacher who is known to wear a sign “Jesus Saves” on the UF campus, believes that Kirk is a “brilliant type”.

“I think he shows that a person without college can be very brilliant and successful, which is an interesting thought,” said Dressel.

Despite the foundation of a popular conservative campus organization in the country, Kirk has no university degree. He briefly visited the Harper College, a community college near Chicago. In 2022, Kirk published “The College Scam”, a book that explores the College industry and the credibility of science.

During a debate with a UF history teacher, Kirk was asked about the similarities between Trump and remarkable fascists such as Hitler. When Kirk asked the trainer whether he knew or not from Winston Churchill and the Dardanelle, Kirk turned to the crowd and noticed: “That is what they pay for.”

Maggie Macdonald, an 80-year-old inhabitant of Gainesville, seemed to be one of the few demonstrators of the event. She was sitting near Kirk’s tent and held two characters with the word “women’s enemy” and “fascist”, surrounded by swastika.

Macdonald came to the event because of the “horrors” in the United States, she said.

“I hope (people) realize that they face each other … a country that will be against everyone, but Haord, White, Christian men,” said McDonald. “Every woman who comes by should recognize the rights that she loses.”

Other activists in Gainesville planned to transfer the news that “Gainesville Hass rejects”, as announced in a flyer published on Facebook. The protest should be against Kirk to speak to the UF, but nobody appeared.

The contribution has been deleted from Facebook since then.

Xavier Fuentes, a 24-year-old UF doctorate, said he was a Bernie Sanders supporter of center links. Fuentes believes that the old right-wing-conservative trend is growing among Gen-Z men.

“I think they grow into a world of economic fear for many of these children,” said Fuentes. “They turn to conservatism to make sense.”

Sienna Wallace, an 18-year-old UF-Psychology newcomer, said, while not falling on both sides of the political spectrum, she likes to see Kirk interacted with college students.

While her views could counteract his, Wallace said that she would like to understand Kirk’s side. Wallace believes that people have to respect the other’s opinions, she said, and hate seeing people aggressively about their political beliefs. Kirk’s debate style appeals to her due to his lack of hostility, added.

“He is very respectful,” said Wallace.

Kirk will continue his tour at Florida State University on Friday.

Contact Vivienne Serret and Kaysheri Haffner at [email protected] and [email protected]. Follow them on X @viviennesret and @kaysheri_h.