Conservative pundit Matt Walsh, a leading critic of the gender-identity movement, said he canceled a speech after receiving threats against himself and his family following the deadly shooting at a Christian school in Nashville.
Mr. Walsh, an author and Daily Wire podcast host, said he was forced to reschedule his appearance at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, one of the stops on his ongoing college tour. The Daily Wire is based in Nashville.
“Sadly I have to postpone my speech at Washington and Lee University,” Mr. Walsh said in a Wednesday tweet thread. “Due to threats against my family and other serious security concerns in Nashville this week, I cannot leave my family and fly to another state. I hate to push the event off but my wife and kids come first.”
He said “I intend to continue my spring college tour as planned in the coming weeks. The event at Washington and Lee will be rescheduled as soon as possible.”
Mr. Walsh, who has six children, linked the threats to his criticism of the transgender movement, including gender-transition medical procedures for minors.
“The threats to my family only make me more determined to fight this evil,” Mr. Walsh said. “I will not let any harm come to my children or my wife. And I will not let these psychopaths scare me into silence. Neither of those things will ever happen, I promise you.”
Sadly I have to postpone my speech at Washington and Lee University. Due to threats against my family and other serious security concerns in Nashville this week, I cannot leave my family and fly to another state. I hate to push the event off but my wife and kids come first.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) March 29, 2023
A 28-year-old female shooter who identified as male killed three children and three adults Monday at the Covenant School in Nashville before being terminated by police.
Mr. Walsh’s work includes the 2022 documentary challenging the transgender movement, “What is a Woman?” He also wrote the 2022 children’s book “Johnny the Walrus” about adults trying to transform a boy into a walrus after he pretends to be one.
He emphasized that the situation had “nothing to do with Washington and Lee University.”
“The event was coming together well and everything was perfectly fine. May have been some protests planned but nothing major,” Mr. Walsh said. “The potential danger is at home, which is why I need to be at home.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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