A Berklee College of Music neurodivergent student had his “Born in the Right Body: Desister and Detransitioner Awareness” campus event indefinitely postponed by administrators after he was bullied and threatened by peers angry about the topic.
Simon Amaya Price, 20, developed the event for a class project, deciding “to share his own struggles with gender dysphoria in high school and how he overcame them,” the Daily Signal reported.
“After receiving almost 1,000 negative comments on social media, including messages threatening his physical safety and recommending he drop out of school and commit suicide, the liberal arts college’s administration forced him to cancel the presentation,” the Signal reported.
The college’s DEI department had initially cosponsored the event, but reportedly pulled out after all the backlash.
Amaya Price, on his Instagram page, said he plans to try and host the event off-campus, as the project is a major part of a class he needs to pass to graduate this December. He posted Friday:
During a second meeting with executive leadership at Berklee this past Monday the 21st, Vice President Ron Savage told me that he made the decision to postpone my event “indefinitely.” This was a big surprise for both me and my father – who was also present, as Mr. Savage had been enthusiastically supportive of my event in our first meeting.
This event was supposed to be a part of a class I’m taking this semester called “Songwriting and Social Change,” and Berklee admin has made it clear to me that they are not willing to protect my academic freedom or speak out against the large-scale bullying and harassment campaign waged by hundreds of my fellow students.
…In the face of the vehement opposition I have [received] from Berklee students and admin, I am now looking into options to hold my event at an off-campus venue. If you have any suggestions for spaces around Boston, please do not hesitate to reach out. Thank you for your continued support!
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Savage, a college spokesperson, and the DEI department did not respond to the Daily Signal’s request for comment.
In a previous post on Instagram, Amaya Price shared more of his backstory and the motivation for this particular project.
“As a desister myself, I find this worrying and I have decided to organize an event this Sunday to raise awareness about this community,” he wrote. “There will be security given the controversial nature of this topic.”
“I encourage everyone to attend as this is an issue very close to my heart and effects a lot of people, especially LGB and neurodivergent individuals like myself. I welcome and encourage open debate and dissenting opinions.”
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IMAGE: Lina Malshy / Instagram
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