Conservative podcast host speaks at UF

Before Andrew Klavan came to UF on Thursday, he was a wanted man.

Or at least that was what the fliers wanted passerby to think.

To promote the conservative speaker’s talk on Thursday night, Young Americans for Freedom posted promotional fliers with Klavan’s picture and the tagline: “Wanted! For the crimes of being anti-feminist, anti-Communist and conservative.”

Klavan, a crime novelist and podcast host for the Daily Wire, a conservative website, was hosted by the UF chapter of Young Americans for Freedom, anon-profit conservative organization. Throughout the one-hour long presentation, he spoke about free speech, gender identity, environmentalism, socialism and spirituality.

The national chapter of Young Americans for Freedom paid Klavan $1,000 to speak. He was also compensated for his travel and hotel, said Sarah Long, president of Young Americans for Freedom.

Klavan was scheduled originally to speak on Oct. 10, but he couldn’t travel because of Hurricane Michael.

“There’s one thing that can stop conservatives from coming to campus and that’s a hurricane,” Long said.

Young Americans for Freedom advocates for freedom of speech, American exceptionalism, pro-life and preservation of the second amendment through activism and speaker events, Long said.

“We’re never controversial for controversy’s sake,” Long said. “We’re just standing for truth.”

Klavan spoke for 30 minutes and then answered questions from the audience for 20 minutes.

“If somebody is trying to make you hate the opposition, they’re trying to control your mind,” Klavan said.

The conservative group has since filed a lawsuit against the UF Board of Trustees due to claims that UF Student Government would not fund money for its speaker events.

“We all pay student funds and therefore we all should have equal access to student funds,” said Long, a 20-year-old UF economics junior.

The event was supposed to start at 7 p.m, but the line of people delayed the event until 7:15. Turlington L0005 was standing-room-only with 150 people in attendance, Long said.

Gabriel Thompson, an 18-year-old Santa Fe College economics freshman, heard about the event through the Santa Fe College Republicans organization. Klavan’s views on religion and culture resonated with Thompson.

“It keeps us from spiraling into leftism,” Thompson said.

Contact Hannah Beatty at hbeatty@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @hannahbeatty_.

Andrew Klavan, crime novelist and outspoken conservative, speaks Thursday about various social and political issues to a crowd of over 100 people in a classroom in Turlington Hall. The event was hosted by UF’s Young Americans for Freedom.