Drag show debate turns physical: ASU instructor allegedly assaults cameraman
On October 11, a Turning Point USA journalist attempted to ask questions about sexual education and child-oriented drag performances to an LGBT activist employed at Arizona State University. Once again, conservatives exercising their right to free speech at a publicly funded university faced opposition.
Security footage appears to capture an incident in which David Boyles, a writing instructor and co-founder of Drag Story Hour Arizona, appeared to react aggressively towards a TPUSA cameraman. Subsequently, "Frontlines" reporter Kalen D’Almeida intervened to protect his colleague, resulting in Boyles falling to the ground, the Blaze reports.
🚨ASU Professor assaults TPUSA cameraman, caught on video 🚨
— Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) October 13, 2023
Our TPUSA Frontlines reporter tried to ask self-professed “sex education obsessed” queer ASU Professor David Boyles, a few simple questions. Refusing to answer, our cameras caught the exact moment Mr. Boyles assaulted,… pic.twitter.com/YJWBEzSgRx
While ASU president Michael Crow and some left-leaning media organizations have focused on the reporter's intervention, they have not given equal attention to the initial attack that prompted it.
Despite the apparent defensive nature of the reporter's involvement, the ASU Police Department has confirmed that it is investigating whether this incident qualifies as a hate crime and is considering the possibility of pressing aggravated assault charges.
A spokesman for TPUSA said that "the video evidence could not be clearer" that Boyles acted first, adding the "seemingly coordinated effort to uniformly denounce the conservative organization" in recent days demonstrates that TPUSA is a "thorn in the side of this established power."
While there has been some confusion surrounding the incident, it was captured on video from two different perspectives.
At the 19-second mark, Boyles, the individual dressed in white, can be observed rushing towards the cameraman. He extends his arm, seemingly attempting to reach for the camera, and makes contact with the cameraman. At the 21-second mark, D'Almeida begins running toward the altercation, pushing Boyles away from his colleague.
Ian Miles Cheong
Contributor
Ian Miles Cheong is a freelance writer, graphic designer, journalist and videographer. He’s kind of a big deal on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/stillgray