Judge supports Christian who exposed truth about male claiming to be female.

Federal Judge Sides with ⁣Christian ‍Who Stood Up⁢ for‍ Free ‍Speech

A federal judge delivered a victory for free ‌speech by siding with a Christian elder who posted a sign on an‌ information table at ⁣the University of Wyoming that insisted that a transgender student who‍ was in ‍the news is not a woman, but is, rather, a male.

Laramie Faith Community Church elder‍ Todd Schmidt had placed the sign on the front‍ of his⁤ information table in the‍ student union on Dec. 2. It instantly caused a⁤ stir among left-wing students, ⁢who ⁣were ‍incensed ​that the ⁤pastor dared to call a transgender​ “woman” ​a male.

Mentioning the transgender student‍ by name, Schmidt’s ‍sign read, “God created male and female and‌ Artemis Langford is a ​male.”

Liberal students quickly‍ went into action, calling⁢ school administrators. As the university’s student newspaper, Branding Iron, noted at the time, “Students crowded around T. Schmidt blocking his message from sight until Dean Ryan O’Neil asked⁣ him to take down the name of the student ⁣displayed.”

“It ​started when people saw the sign, ‌particularly females,” Schmidt explained. “They ​were agitated, ‌quickly making‌ phone‍ calls ⁣to spread my message.⁢ Then a bigger crowd ‌gathered. They wanted to block my sign so nobody could see ⁤it, ​with ⁢them accusing me ⁢of being unkind⁢ and not friendly.”

Eventually,⁣ Dean of Student Affairs Ryan O’Neil arrived and asked Schmidt ⁣to remove the ‍transgender student’s name ⁢from ‌the sign.

Schmidt⁢ said he ⁣understood why⁤ the administration would​ ask ‍him to eliminate the part of his ‌sign that⁢ mentioned a​ student by name, but he still felt he was ​in the right.

“I’m⁣ just ‌trying to tell the⁣ truth and ‌bring people⁣ to God. That’s ⁣all there is. There are not⁢ any more genders than that. Biology​ teaches ⁤everybody⁤ about that,” he said, adding, “People would rather​ believe a lie than see the truth.‌ There is nothing more loving than being a Christian and preaching the gospel.‌ I ​am trying to show people the love of God.”

The sign⁣ incident spurred school officials ‌to place a one-year ban on Schmidt’s⁣ information table in the ⁤student union, the Epoch ⁤Times reported.

Administrators sent out a message to⁣ students, saying Schmidt was banned because ​he “violated the university policy prohibiting discrimination and harassment,”⁣ noting that “a line ‌was crossed when a‌ student was harassed by name.”

The⁤ transgender ​student in ​question, Artemis Langford, became a‌ lightning rod for⁢ controversy at the‍ University⁣ of Wyoming for being allowed to become a member ‌of a women’s ⁢sorority when he joined the Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter last year.

Some​ members ‍of ⁢the ⁢sorority told ⁢school ⁢officials ​that they “live ‍in⁣ constant fear” of the 6-foot-2, 260-pound man who was allowed to join their ranks and is allowed free access to the ‍women’s sorority ‍house.

Seven members of the college group filed a ​lawsuit against ⁣their school and ⁢sorority for allowing Langford to ⁣join.

“An adult human male does not become a woman just because he tells‌ others that he has a female ‘gender identity’ and behaves​ in what he ⁢believes to ‍be a stereotypically female manner,” the suit filed with ‌the U.S. District Court exclaimed.

But this week, a federal judge has sided with Schmidt ‌and said ⁣that his sign ‌should ‍not⁤ have ‍been censored and⁤ he ⁣should not be suffering ‍the temporary ban.

U.S. Senior District Judge Nancy Freudenthal found that the inclusion of the⁣ student’s name was integral⁢ to Schmidt’s ‌message⁤ and his free speech.

“Schmidt’s ‌speech was expressive, with the intent to convey a particular message,” Freudenthal ‍wrote in her decision. “Schmidt mentions Artemis Langford by name, but that is unavoidable, as the debate revolves around the propriety of a particular biological male participating in an activity—joining a sorority—traditionally reserved for biological females.”

The judge added that Schmidt’s use ‍of Langford’s⁤ name was ⁢not threatening ‍or harassment, but a true “debate about gender identity, a matter of public importance.”

“Schmidt ​does not misgender Langford to denigrate her,⁣ but to debate a public issue,” the judge explained.

“This is particularly true on college​ campuses because they are ⁢the‍ ‘marketplace of ideas.’ While elementary ‍and⁢ public schools ‍prioritize ‌the inculcation of social values, universities seek to encourage inquiry ⁢and‌ the challenging​ of a priori assumptions,” the judge added. “Therefore, this Court finds that Schmidt’s speech is protected free expression and not harassment or ​discriminatory conduct.”

For ‌its part, the ⁢school insisted that⁣ its one-year ban was appropriate and said that they ⁢instituted the punishment to “prioritize protection of its‍ students‌ from unlawful⁤ harassment⁣ and discrimination.”

Unfortunately,⁤ many universities are at the forefront ⁢of quashing free speech and thwarting freedom ‌of religion.⁣ The University of Wyoming has ⁢engaged in an example of that. But this‍ judge stood ⁢up for our constitutional rights and⁢ determined that Schmidt ​was ‍exercising his rights.

Let’s hope​ this type of judgment becomes far more ‍common.

The post​ Federal Judge Sides with Christian Who Told Truth⁤ About‍ Male Claiming⁤ to Be⁤ Female appeared first‍ on ​The Western Journal.