COLUMBIA, S.C. — A controversial event at the University of South Carolina’s Russell House is set to take place on Wednesday, hosted by the student-led Uncensored America organization.
Billed as a “roast” of Vice President Kamala Harris, the event is sparking concerns, not only due to its vulgar spelling of Harris’s name, but the presence of two highly polarizing speakers: Milo Yiannopoulos and Gavin McInnes.
For weeks, the event has drawn criticism. Both Yiannopoulos and McInnes have been accused of promoting hate speech. Yiannopoulos is known for his harsh critiques of Islam, feminism, and political correctness, while McInnes is the founder of the far-right group Proud Boys.
Despite the controversy, Uncensored America founder Sean Semanko defended the event, describing it as a comedy show aimed at promoting free speech.
“We just want free speech culture so that we can all express our opinions, tell the jokes we want to tell, without fear of being banned on social media or fired from your job, or just socially shunned for having a normal opinion,” Semanko said.
Semanko started Uncensored America in 2020 at his alma mater, Penn State University, with the goal of pushing back against what he sees as increasing censorship in the U.S. The organization has since expanded to other college campuses, including USC.
“That’s the best way to push back against censorship and cancel culture, by hosting the people who are censored and canceled,” Semanko said, explaining the choice to invite Yiannopoulos and McInnes.
Yiannopoulos rose to national prominence over the past decade for his speeches and writings criticizing Islam and what he calls “mainstream Muslim culture.” He has also controversially advocated for gay conversion therapy, after declaring himself "ex-gay" in a 2020 interview. While McInnes, a far-right commentator, founded the Proud Boys, a group that the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled a hate group.
“So that’s why Gavin and Milo were perfect,” Semanko said. “Milo was one of the first people to get banned on every social media platform back in 2016 and 2017, and Gavin too—he was part of that as well.”
Not everyone agrees with the event’s message.
Lawrence Moore, board chair of the group Carolina for All, announced plans to hold a peaceful protest at the State House in response to the roast.
“We thought it’s necessary to stand for peace, stand for calm, stand for respecting each other. And the people that feel the same way we do, they needed a space where they could express those concerns,” Moore said.
With both the roast and the protest happening on the same day, safety has become a concern. USC told News19 in a statement that comprehensive security measures will be in place.
“The safety of our campus community is our top priority, and we do not anticipate any disruption on campus,” the university said.
Columbia police have also confirmed they will assist with security at the event.
The roast is a ticketed event and will take place at USC’s Russell House. The Carolina for All protest at the State House is open to the public.