Liberals call drag queen protesters 'bigots.' So what's it called when they attack free speech?

Last weekend, the flap over drag queens arrived in my suburban Detroit community. Demonstrators in support of the story hour event at a private book store outnumbered opponents.

In response to her child’s question about the meaning of “bigot” on someone’s sign, a mother defined it this way, according to a local report: “Bigots are small-minded people who allow their fear of anything different to dominate their thoughts and actions.”

It’s a good definition – in this case, directed at the protesters, who were described by a local newspaper as “bible-thumping conservatives." The uproar over drag queens has been taken too far in some cases, especially when it comes to what private businesses do.

What does 'woke' mean?: For conservatives, it's so much more than political correctness.

Language police: Stanford's political correctness czars deem 'American' and 'guys' harmful words (no joke)

If parents want to take their kids to see drag queens read stories at a local business, that’s their prerogative. It’s different, though, when taxpayer-funded schools and libraries open their doors to these activities. That deserves a robust community debate.

While this controversy rages, many on the right are getting slapped with the “bigot” label, though similar behavior by those on the left is often seen as justified activism.

Let me give you two recent examples.

Federal judge silenced by Stanford mob

Last week, students at Stanford Law School (one of the country’s most elite), rudely shouted down federal appeals court Judge Kyle Duncan. Duncan, a Trump-appointee, never got the chance to offer his remarks. He had been invited to campus by the law school’s Federalist Society chapter.

The encounter is embarrassing to watch, and the coddled students come off as spoiled brats unable to engage in a civil debate – alarming considering the profession they're pursuing.

Rather than bring order to the event and allow Duncan to speak, Tirien Steinbach, associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, offered a several-minute speech of her own, berating the judge for daring to have conservative views that have brought “harm” to marginalized communities.

Free speech advocates have raised concerns, and the president of Stanford and the law school dean have since issued a joint apology to Duncan, calling the incident a violation of university speech policies.

Can you be a conservative in public?: Another conservative faces public shunning. Liberals grow bolder with their intolerance.

Duncan accepted the apology but remains unimpressed by the students’ temper tantrum. In an interview with conservative writer Rod Dreher, the judge said the “loathing” expressed against him was “disgusting.”

“This is a law school, for crying out loud,” Duncan said. “It’s supposed to be training students to enter a profession where respectful disagreement, even about supremely important things, is the most basic tool of the trade. You can’t be a lawyer unless you understand that the role of a lawyer is to explain – zealously, yes, but also with care, precision and respect for your opponent – why your client should prevail.”

Conservative authors accosted by woke protesters

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country in Manhattan, two conservative women authors were last week greeted by screaming protesters at a launch party for their book, “Stolen Youth: How Radicals Are Erasing Innocence and Indoctrinating a Generation.”

The reaction to the book seems to prove the need for it.

The protesters accosted Bethany Mandel and Karol Markowicz, throwing not only vulgarities but also drinking glasses and books at the authors. Mandel was left soaking wet. Media mogul CEO Steve Forbes, who was at the event to support the book, also got caught in the crossfire.

“Our book is a calm, rational take on the indoctrination and forced conformity happening in America today and the way it is aimed at children,” Markowicz said in an interview with The Daily Wire. “The deep anger at a book they haven’t read, at the fact that opinions other than their own may even exist, wanting to shut down an event held by people with which they may disagree, it’s exactly the kind of conformity that we talk about in the book."

It sounds like a book a lot of people need to read.

Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques 

You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Judge Duncan, author Bethany Mandel attacked by woke mobs. No outrage?