University students plan protest over law that will allow concealed weapons on campus where display of sex aids can lead to a $500 fine for obscenity

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

From 1 August 2016, licensed Texans will be allowed to carry concealed weapons on the campuses of public universities. In the wake of a spate of campus shootings, a group of students have decided to protest the incoming law by entering classrooms carrying different accessories: dildos.



University of Texas professor quits over state's 'campus carry' gun law Read more

In an event organized by Jessica Jin, a 24-year-old alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin, under the banner of Campus (Dildo) Carry, on 24 August 2016 students and others who want to participate will enter the UT campus with sex aids strapped to their backpacks.



The movement began as a joke, Jin told the Houston Chronicle, because dildos are “just plain funny”.

However, she added, dildos point to deeper issues regarding the carrying of guns and the way society talks about obscenity. Carrying dildos around campus will “spotlight the masturbatory nature of the power which people derive from gun ownership”, Jin said.



“Additionally, the dildo has proven itself to be interesting fodder for commentary on what our society does and does not consider ‘obscene’,” she said. “The narratives surrounding sexuality (or just dildos, in this case) and guns are more intertwined than one would expect, and more similarities seem to unfold every minute.”



Since Jin formed the idea for the protest on Friday, the day of a campus shooting at Texas Southern University, the movement has grown. More than 4,600 people have pledged to participate.



Dildos are “just about as effective as [guns in] protecting us from sociopathic shooters, but much safer for recreational play”, Jin wrote in her event description.



According to the Texas Penal Code, which deems them “obscene”, dildos – unlike, from August 2016, guns – are prohibited from classrooms at UT.

Those who carry dildos on to campus risk a class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500. Jin warned people to participate in the protest at their own risk, and also noted that large, good quality dildos can be expensive. If enough people participate, Jin said, she will seek sponsorship from a dildo supplier.



Gary Susswein, spokesman for UT Austin, said in an email to the Guardian: “Students are free to express themselves peacefully on all issues and this appears to be an example of protected political speech.



“We ask that all conversations around this issue always remain civil and urge students to be part of the ongoing discussion about how to implement the campus carry law at UT Austin.”



Susswein said the university was gathering input on the campus carry legislation through public forums and an online survey, in order to implement the regulations safely.

However, he added, the law stipulates that the university may not enact rules and regulations that either “generally prohibit” or “have the effect of generally prohibiting” license holders from carrying concealed weapons on campus.



The law will allow holders of concealed-handgun licenses, who must be over 21, to carry their weapons on campus. It will permit private universities to opt out entirely; public universities will have limited discretion to declare parts of their campuses gun-free zones.



Daniel Hamermesh, a professor emeritus of economics at the university, said on Thursday he would quit because of the safety risks posed by the new law.

This is America. If guns and bloodshed don’t wake people up, a public celebration of sexuality may just do the trick Jessica Jin

More than 380 academics have signed a petition saying they will refuse guns in their classrooms, while the police and chancellor William McRaven, a former navy admiral who planned the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, have said the law will make colleges less safe.



Despite the fact that thousands plan to participate in the “strap-in”, Jin has received significant negative feedback, including death threats posted to the event’s Facebook page.



“People want me dead for a dildo,” she said.



Ultimately, Jin wants the openly carried dildos to offer an image of what it would be like if everyone carried guns.



“It should look ridiculous to you,” she said. “That’s the point. This is America. If guns and bloodshed don’t wake people up, a public celebration of sexuality may just do the trick.

“We’re going to need a lot of dildos.”