There’s a conservative group on campus that has been caught in a rash of scandals lately, but there’s something more nefarious at play with the group.
The conservative group Turning Point OSU’s parent organization, Turning Point USA, was found to be allegedly funneling money to help fund USG elections that would be favorable for Turning Point USA’s agenda, according to an investigation by The Lantern. The two candidates allegedly being funded by the Turning Point USA money dropped out a few days before USG elections took place.
After the campaign funding, which allegedly violated campaign finance bylaws regulating the amount that campaigns can accept, was unearthed, it became known that an Ohio State student and member of Turning Point OSU wore a shirt that read “Socialism is for F*gs” (with the “i” in fig suspiciously censored) at an official Turning Point USA event. In addition to the troublesome language, the shirt bore the face of Marxist Che Guevara with a limp wrist, an old bigoted signifier of someone being gay. It is crystal clear the shirt was meant to be homophobic and to disparage those in the LGBT community, not the pathetic excuse given by Turning Point OSU that the shirt says “fig” because Guevara was captured in La Higuera — which translates into The Fig Tree. We do not buy that excuse.
In addition, Turning Point OSU’s parent organization runs a twisted website named “Professor Watchlist.” This website is not an analog to the popular Rate My Professors, but a website used to track “specific incidents and names of professors that advance a radical agenda in lecture halls.” This is incredibly disturbing and unacceptable considering this sort of website can be used to intimidate, harass and even physically injure professors across the nation, let alone OSU, for simply having “non-conservative” views. Not to mention, this website can be used to target professors of foreign descent and used to target Jewish and Muslim professors — an occurrence that has become far too common in our country. We fear for our professors and friends, and only wish for them to be able to teach without worrying they could end up on a “watchlist” for simply teaching their courses.
How can we continue to allow such a group on campus that tries to secretly fund USG campaigns, is outwardly homophobic, and is completely fine with a parent organization that targets professors? If students and others want to organize a group funded by shadowy outside money whose goals are to interfere in university politics and create a climate of fear among professors and whose actions are hostile to LGBT Buckeyes, then it is their right to do so. But OSU has no obligation to grant such an organization legitimacy and resources through official recognition. In fact, we believe that these goals run directly counter to the goals of student organizations, which include enhancing the academic experience, increasing participation in student self-government and fostering community engagement.
As co-presidents of the Young Democratic Socialists at OSU, we ask the Office of Student Life to revoke Turning Point OSU’s club membership for the safety our of professors and fellow students.
Brad McKinniss
Graduate student in city and regional planning
Co-President – Young Democratic Socialists at Ohio State
Val Nikaidoh
Second-year in nursing
Co-President – Young Democratic Socialists at Ohio State
