University Of North Texas Swaps Michael J. Fox For Anti-Gay, Anti-Minority Gov. Greg Abbott

[ashling]

The University of North Texas had invited Michael J. Fox to send off the class of 2015, till the administration abruptly handed the honor to Gov. Abbott instead. Some students plan to boycott the graduation ceremony.


Last month, the University of North Texas (UNT) administration shocked the student body by announcing Greg Abbott as its 2015 commencement keynote speaker. The university's commencement committee, which includes students and faculty, had not even discussed Gov. Abbott as a possibility.

They were thinking along the lines of someone likable, with an inspirational voice and respect for human rights. Someone like actor and Parkinsons research fundraiser Michael J. Fox! Okay, exactly Michael J. Fox.

According to the student newspaper for the University of North Texas, NT Daily, the committee and administration actually selected and invited Michael J. Fox to be the 2015 keynote commencement speaker. They were in talks with his people. It looked like it would happen.


Then, the UNT administration announced a sudden change in direction: Gov. Abbott would speak. No explanations were given, or committee considerations raised.

“An email was already sent out saying that this [Michael J. Fox] is probably going to be the commencement speaker, but then out of the blue, we get a very general announcement that was sent to the whole student body that Gov. Greg Abbott is actually to be the speaker,” UNT SGA President Troy Elliott explained to NT Daily. “That was never even discussed by the actual committee.”

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I didn't realize that they had first planned to go with MJF. That makes the final decision doubly disgusting

[TexasTowelie]

1. I didn't know about MJF either,

but saw and posted the news about Abbott and an alternative UNT graduation ceremony held by a LGBT activist.

I guess that I should feel fortunate that during my college graduation ceremony they picked one of the history professors who was well liked. However, I crawled out of bed at 8 a.m. to take an early morning drive, got wasted and fell asleep during the speech because it was so boring and it was dark inside the gym. I talked with some friends a few years later and nearly everybody said it was the worst graduation speech they ever heard. One of them offered the videotape, but I knew that I suffered enough the first time.

[Demeter]

2. Rank hath its privileges...and as usual, it's pretty rank

Nothing amazes me anymore...

[DFW]

3. I hope the boycott is large

Let Abbott speak to a bunch of empty chairs. It's the Republican way

[marym625]

4. Can you link to the source article?

This is shameful, in so many ways.

[czarjak]

5. Ted Nugent's blood brother....

Nice pick UNT.

[Gothmog]

6. My county party chair is an UNT grad and will be happy to hear this