UNH prof gloats about disrupting conservative speaker

One of the protesters who temporarily disrupted a speech by Dave Rubin at the University of New Hampshire on May 1 turns out to be a Women's Studies professor at the school.

Ryan will be teaching a course called "Trans/forming gender" next fall, which is reserved exclusively for incoming freshmen and will “explore the multiple ways in which gender is constructed."

Shortly after the event, Dr. Joelle Ruby Ryan gleefully tweeted that "we were able to disrupt this man's hate speech as much as possible," declaring that "'civil discourse' with him is impossible."

A disruptive heckler who was filmed harassing Dave Rubin during a speech at the University of Hampshire on May 1 turns out to be a Senior Lecturer in Women’s Studies at UNH.

Rubin, a well-known gay, Democrat online talk show host, has recently gained popularity among young conservatives for his willingness to provide a platform to conservative personalities such as Ben Shapiro, Jordan Peterson, and transgender conservative commentator Blaire White. His May 1 UNH speech largely focused on civil discourse, free speech, and tolerance of ideas.

[RELATED: Protesters nearly derail Dave Rubin speech at UNH]

Protesters endeavored to shut down the lecture before it even began, forming a human chain in an attempt to block the entrance to the venue, which had already been changed by campus police due to “security concerns.” 

Eventually, several of the protesters managed to gain access to the event, and were captured on video as they shouted over Rubin’s speech.


Dr. Joelle Ruby Ryan has now been identified as one of the main disruptors. She makes her first appearance in the video when she yells, “We don’t want you in the LGBT community. Get the f**k out.”  Rubin responded by trying to engage Ryan in conversation, but Ryan continued to yell, accusing Rubin of being hostile to transgender rights.

Afterward, Ryan posted a tweet gloating about her role in disrupting Rubin.

”We did something right!” Ryan gleefully proclaimed. “Glad we were able to disrupt this man’s hate speech as much as possible. He is nothing but a provocateur and ‘civil discourse’ with him is impossible.”

This fall, incoming freshman at UNH are invited to take a Women’s Studies course with Dr. Ryan called “Trans/forming gender,” which will examine how gender is “constructed” by various “systems” and aspects of society.

The course description explains that students will “explore the multiple ways in which gender is constructed within the lives of children, women, men, and transgender people” by using a “social construction approach” that focuses on “social institutions and systems that encourage both the construction and reproduction of gender identity and expression across the lifespan.”

[RELATED: WSU offering class on ‘social construction’ of Western science]

“Students actively participate in identifying historical and current day factors and institutions that shape gender,” the synopsis adds. “Students explore the roles of families, schools, educational settings, media, the workplace, recreation activities, the medical system, religion, laws, and the laws and the legal system in the construction of gender.”

Ryan also teaches courses in “Gender, Power, and Privilege” and “Transgender Feminism,” and has been highlighted in a film presented by the university about her experience as a non-binary transgender person.

Campus Reform reached out to Ryan for comment, but did not receive response. Campus Reform also contacted UNH to ask whether it will pursue any disciplinary actions against Ryan, and is currently awaiting a response. This article will be updated if and when either Ryan or UNH provides a statement.

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @celinedryan