University of Texas students are protesting Senate Bill 11, a concealed weapon bill, by wearing something rather unsual, and forbidden by the school, to carry: dildos.
In an effort to bring awareness to what some see as the absurdity of the concealed weapons on campus bill, UT student Jessica Jin is hosting a Facebook event encouraging students to strap a dildo on their backpacks in protest, and started a social media hashtag for it, #c--ksforglocks.
"You're carrying a gun to class? Yeah well I'm carrying a HUGE DILDO. Just about as effective at protecting us from sociopathic shooters, but much safer for recreational play," Jin wrote on her event page, Campus (DILDO) Carry, according to Think Progress.
To date, Jin's Facebook event has invited 6,000, with 1,300 "maybes" and 3,800 attendees. The event is set for Aug. 24, 2016 - to coincide with the start date of fall courses - right after Senate Bill 11 takes effect Aug. 1.
"The State of Texas has decided that it is not at all obnoxious to allow deadly concealed weapons in classrooms, however it DOES have strict rules about free sexual expression, to protect your innocence. You would receive a citation for taking a DILDO to class before you would get in trouble for taking a gun to class," Jin wrote, according to Jezebel. "Heaven forbid the penis."
"The classroom in particular is a special space, a space that has extra reasons for us to keep it a safe space," UT history professor Joan Neuberger said. "People get very heated... if I know there's a possibility that someone has a gun in the classroom, I'm not going to hold these same discussions. I'm not going to encourage students to speak openly."
Neuberger isn't the only professor concerned, according to the Raw Story. A professor emeritus announced last week that he is giving up teaching at UT Austin over concerns for his safety with the impending law.
The campus carry law will allow students to carry guns on campus, inciting the protest designed to bring the "absurdity" to light as carrying a dildo to class can be "prohibited expression" as per campus rules that prohibit "any writing or visual image, or engage in any public performance that is obscene."
