San Francisco State University President Lynn Mahoney applauded students for protesting “peacefully” during Riley Gaines’ speech about transgender sports bans last week.

With Turning Point USA, Gaines spoke on campus to advocate against transgender athletes participating in women’s athletics. In a statement released Tuesday, Mahoney called the event “deeply traumatic” for the university’s transgender community. She also acknowledged that it “outraged many members of the SF State community who value inclusion and social justice.”

“I applaud the students, staff, and faculty,” Mahoney said, “who rallied quickly to host alternative inclusive events, protest peacefully and provide one another with support at a difficult moment.”

Mahoney said that the speech itself went on without issue.

“Unlike previous events on this campus and other campuses, I am proud to say that the First Amendment was honored,” Mahoney said. “The speaker expressed her views and engaged in dialogue with those present. In fact, a Turning Point USA representative noted in a media interview that the discussion was ‘constructive and polite.'”

However, the president also acknowledged that there was a “disturbance” after the speech that the university is reviewing. According to Gaines, she was assaulted by multiple people while trying to leave and was trapped in a room for several hours. She’s now threatening to pursue legal action against the protestors.

The post SFSU President Doubles Down on Support for Protestors at Riley Gaines Speech: ‘I Am Proud to Say That the First Amendment Was Honored’ first appeared on Mediaite.

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