All groups, no matter how controversial their stance, have the right to advocate for their cause and spread their message. Freedom Riders traveled through populated towns of the South, boycotting segregation and advocating for equality. The Westboro Baptist Church pickets and protests to spread news and awareness of their cause. What activists during the civil rights movement and religious members with extremely conservative agendas believe are obviously different, however, the one thing they do share in common is the basic fundamental right to free speech.
The First Amendment states that citizens of this country have, among other things, the freedom of expression. This applies to liberals, conservatives, alt-rights and everyone else who happens to oppose popular opinion. Recently, a bus planned to travel across the Northeast, through the heart of Boston, is making people think of this right reluctantly rather than with appreciation. The Free Speech Bus, filled to the brim with anti-transgender advocates, is decorated with phrases of “boys are boys” and “girls are girls.” The bus is making a stop in Boston, according to an article from Boston Magazine, to appeal to Gov. Charlie Baker and Mayor Martin Walsh on challenging the “transgender agenda” and bathroom bill.
Many would consider this bus to be a form of hate speech, but speech is speech. Anti-transgender advocates do have the right to promote their message. This is truly an amazing thing about America — that we have the ability to speak whenever we wish and say whatever we want, may it be criticizing our government or arguing about our favorite breakfast food. Once we venture down the path of saying what language one can and cannot say, it’s hard to come back. That would in turn limit free speech for everyone, for if one group is silenced, then we all are. As long as this bus isn’t promoting or directly causing physical harm, they should continue to have the right of free speech.
However, this brings up a larger conversation about the highly politicized state of our nation. One of the main reasons why so much of the population was shocked to see Donald Trump become president is because of the bubbles we put ourselves into. A large orange bus driving from Boston to Washington, D.C. will certainly make people realize that there are individuals out there with different opinions. We shouldn’t be idealistic about the state of the nation or disregard people of opposing views simply because we disagree. It’s easy to shove someone off, hear their words without really listening and walk away. But that doesn’t solve the problem. Though many will disagree and protest this bus, especially transgender advocates in the Boston area, we should not “welcome” this bus with rallying cries. Instead, we should accept their right to speak.
What is truly bothersome is the unavoidable visibility of this bus. Driving around some of the most progressive cities in the country will inevitably be seen by some within the transgender community. Boston officials may not have to converse with these anti-transgender advocates, but many residents will not be able to avoid the orange bus rolling down the streets. While free speech is a right, it is also within our rights to feel comfortable, safe and protected. This bus is directed at a specific community to inflict shame and pain. This bus will make some uncomfortable and some anti-transgender proponents would argue that they are also uncomfortable when entering a bathroom with a transgender person. At some point, they’ll have to realize that we are who we are.
Regardless of their intentions or cause, these anti-transgender advocates are using their bus as a shield. It is a cop out to name it the “Free Speech Bus.” It’s as if they knew the backlash this crusade would bring, and therefore stuck a “First Amendment” label to the front of their vehicle. They’re giving a bad name to a relatively positive concept and hiding behind their rights. If these advocates are so devoted to the cause, then call it what it is. They’re not advocating for free speech; they’re advocating for the repeal of laws that protect transgender rights. It wouldn’t be fair to assume that all of these riders are terrible people, as that would return to an unwillingness to listen to opposing opinions. However, that doesn’t mean that they should be promoting this cause in the first place.
