University of Illinois Chicago professor Deidre McCloskey, a biological man who identifies as a woman, reportedly canceled a scheduled debate with The Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles because he allegedly promotes “hatred and violence.”
Knowles and McCloskey were set to debate “transgenderism and womanhood” at the University of Pittsburgh next Tuesday, but the transgender professor allegedly accused Knowles of “stirring up hatred and violence” for being an opponent of transgender ideology and thus did not want to give him a platform, The Daily Wire reported.
McCloskey previously condemned trans activists who tried to shut down the debate, but accused Knowles of being an “anti-Jesus Catholic” and a “fascist.” The university called Knowles’ appearance “toxic and hurtful for many people,” but defended its decision to allow student groups to host a guest of their choosing, according to The Daily Wire.
“A thousand people have signed a petition against Michael Knowles ‘debating’ me on transgender matters on April 18 at Pittsburgh. They should be ashamed. True, Knowles is an anti-Jesus Catholic, a fascist advocating state power over ideas. But we live in a free country,” McCloskey wrote on March 11.
A thousand people have signed a petition against Michael Knowles ‘debating” me on transgender matters on April 18 at Pittsburgh. They should be ashamed. True, Knowles is an anti-Jesus Catholic, a fascist advocating state power over ideas. But we live in a free country.
— Deirdre Nansen McCloskey (@DeirdreMcClosk) March 11, 2023
Knowles announced Tuesday that McCloskey pulled out of the debate, and suggested that the professor learned that the conservative commentator opposes transgender ideology out of “love of the truth.” He suggested that McCloskey chose to concede to avoid losing the debate. (RELATED: Professor Encourages Students To Protest Speaker Who Called For ‘Eradicating’ Transgenderism: Report)
“I’ve just learned that Prof. McCloskey has dropped out of our debate scheduled for next week,” Knowles tweeted. “For weeks, he’s baselessly smeared me as a ‘fascist’ but nonetheless insisted upon the importance of debating ideas rather than running from them. Apparently he’s changed his mind. Perhaps he has learned that I’m not the loose cannon that the liberal media have dishonestly portrayed.”
I’ve just learned that Prof. McCloskey has dropped out of our debate scheduled for next week. For weeks, he’s baselessly smeared me as a “fascist” but nonetheless insisted upon the importance of debating ideas rather than running from them. Apparently he’s changed his mind. 🧵 https://t.co/pKJaLECR26
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) April 11, 2023
“Perhaps he’s learned that my opposition to transgenderism derives, not from hatred, but from love of the truth, in this case regarding epistemology and anthropology,” he continued. “Despite reiterating his willingness to debate, Professor McCloskey seems to have understood that his arguments would not have survived scrutiny, so he chose to concede rather than lose in front of CSPAN’s cameras.”
Despite reiterating his willingness to debate, Professor McCloskey seems to have understood that his arguments would not have survived scrutiny, so he chose to concede rather than lose in front of CSPAN’s cameras. /3
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) April 11, 2023
“I’m happy to take a victory by default. But it’s telling that even a distinguished scholar with three Harvard degrees and half a dozen honorary doctorates cannot defend transgenderism. Of course: the ideology is indefensible,” he said.
Knowles received backlash from liberals and transgender activists after he called for transgender ideology to be “eradicated from public life entirely” during a March 4 speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Several left-wing media outlets falsely accused Knowles of calling for the genocide of transgender people, though he only referred to the ideology.