'Crisis of Identity': Michael Knowles speaks to a packed room at Purdue University

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Daily Wire host Michael Knowles was welcomed into Purdue University’s Memorial Union ballroom Thursday night with a standing ovation from the nearly 400 people excited to hear his speech.   

Juxtaposed to the applause inside the ballroom, was a hallway full of protestors screaming, “F*** you fascist!”

Knowles briefly made fun of the protesters' chants and joked to the audience that they were probably calling him a fascist because he is Italian.

Students and community members gathered across Purdue University to protest Knowles's arrival on campus after he made national news for calling for “transgenderism to be eradicated” from public life at Conservative Political Action Conference earlier this month.

Students held two separate events to protest Knowles. One was a traditional protest where students held signs outside of the event, while the other was a block party and drag show hosted by the Purdue Student Government and the Out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics group.

Reaction:Students host drag show in protest to Michael Knowles visit to Purdue

Knowles was invited to Purdue University by the campus’ chapter of the Young America’s Foundation, a national conservative youth organization. 

“Unlike those protesters, I actually read the seminal works of fascism. I read the Fascist Manifesto, the Charter of Carnaro, (and) the Doctorate of Fascism. If any of those protesters happen to be literate, I would strongly encourage them to read those texts as it would quickly dispel any misconception that I might be a fascist,” Knowles said.

“Fascism is far too modern and progressive a political ideology for me.”

Knowles: The U.S. suffers from identity crisis

After he finished making quips at the protesters, Knowles said he believed the United States is suffering from a “crisis of identity.”

Knowles said the fundamental beliefs that the United States was built upon no longer exist and the country has lost its identity as a “particular people,” specifically as a Christian nation.

He highlighted how this issue ranges from the nation’s declining belief in religion, the lack of a national language, individuals’ unwillingness to salute the flag, immigration policy and altering the definition of marriage. 

But one of the primary issues that he highlighted revolved around how the United States has altered its beliefs regarding gender.

Building on his statement from CPAC, Knowles elaborated on his belief that the “ideology” of “transgenderism” should be eradicated and that transgender women are merely confused with the perception of the “self” within themselves.

“We should not delude people who don’t know who they are. We should help them and then correct them. Men who think they’re women are suffering from a crisis of identity and they’re not the only ones,” Knowles said.

According to the American Psychological Association, transgender is an umbrella term for persons whose gender identity, gender expression or behavior does not conform to that typically associated with the sex to which they were assigned at birth.

Knowles went on to say transgender women are merely dealing with an identity crisis and that no matter how much “body mutilation” a person conducts, it ultimately is an issue with one understanding their metaphysical “self.” 

“The confused man undertakes this ritual in the hope that it will cure his identity crisis, but the process, no matter how elaborate they performed, usually does not make the practitioner feel any better,” he said.

“We should stop pretending that they can, and that we should stop tolerating this nonsense as a basis for reordering our public life. That we ought to eradicate the ideology of transgenderism entirely.” 

This statement drew a round of applause from the audience.

Knowles: Liberal agenda allowed for rise of transgender acceptance

Knowles said the belief of “transgenderism” grew in prominence thanks to liberal Americans exploiting the concept of liberty to push their agenda, and that “liberals’ tolerance” is actually the intolerance of conservative thoughts and beliefs.

“If we get our way, the preposterous ideology of transgenderism will be eradicated from public life. If they get their way, the distinct categories of man and woman will be eradicated from public life,” Knowles said, 

“Those are the choices. There can be no middle ground or simultaneous establishment of opposing premises. We will live with one view or the other. One identity must win, the other must lose.”

During the Q&A portion of the event, Knowles elaborated on his views of transgender people and why he believes the notion of transgender is a belief that an individual holds rather than a natural aspect of a person’s being. 

“The threat of transgenderism is that it will destroy the public distinction of men and women. It’s not 5-year-olds who are going into women’s bathrooms and women's locker rooms and taking their trophies, scholarships and special rights and privileges. It’s 25-year-olds and 35-year-olds.

“The question has to be: Is transgenderism true or not? Does it present an anthropology that is true or not? Can one really be one sex in body but a different sex in spirit or soul?

“The answer is no. Man is a unity, a composite of body and soul.”

Knowles said an individual’s soul does not have a gender assigned to it and that gender is assigned by the body. And based on this explanation, Knowles said he believes the intrinsic notion of “transgenderism” is false. 

“If it’s false, then it shouldn’t be tolerated anywhere or for anyone. It would be harmful to the people who’ve fallen prey to that delusion.”

Noe Padilla is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email him at Npadilla@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter at 1NoePadilla.