Texas students protest gun laws with dildos

Students from The University of Texas in Austin are protesting laws that allow people to carry concealed weapons on campus by hanging dildos from their bags.

The ‘Campus (Dildo) Carry’ protest was organised by Jessica Jin through a Facebook event. On their page, they highlight the irony that “the State of Texas has decided that it is not at all obnoxious to allow deadly concealed weapons in classrooms, however it does have strict rules about sexual expression, to protect your innocence.

They add, “you would receive a citation for taking a dildo to class before you would get in trouble for taking a gun to class.”

The protest is against the signing by Governor Greg Abbott of S.B. 11, also known as the “campus carry” law. The law allows license holders to carry a concealed handgun throughout university campuses. The law is set to come into effect in August 2016.

Contrastingly, the state prohibits the exhibition of any writing or visual image that is considered obscene on campus grounds.

Over 9,000 students have signed up so far to the protest planned for next year when the law is passed.

The students plan to strap “gigantic swinging dildos” to their backpacks on August the 24th 2016. They have welcomed anyone to join them, declaring on their event “Come one dildo, come all dildos”.

Many gun rights supporters have posted criticism on the Facebook event, with one arguing, “we don’t blame cars for drunk drivers; why blame guns for violent people?”

Another gun rights supporter wrote “a grand example of the decline of value in American University education.”

Supporters argue that gunmen target “gun-free zones,” such as university campuses and cinemas, because they know that they will not be met with resistance.

The BBC reported, however, that a while a student was armed during a recent college shooting in Roseburg, Oregon, he chose not to use his weapon.

He was reported to have said he feared police would mistake him for the gunman and didn’t want to put his life in danger.

Students have appealed to the University President Gregory Fenves to limit the new law. The law does give public universities some discretion to regulate campus gun carry.

Jessica Jin concludes her invitation to the event with: “You’re carrying a gun to class? Yeah well I’m carrying a HUGE DILDO. Just about as effective at protecting us from sociopathic shooters, but much safer for recreational play.”