SEATTLE, Wash. — Turning Point USA has postponed a scheduled event at the University of Washington featuring activist Chloe Cole following community backlash after the killing of a transgender student near campus housing.
According to a Seattle Police blotter post, a 19-year-old student was found dead at 10:10 p.m. in the laundry room of the Nordheim Court apartments, an off-campus student housing complex near the university. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office has not officially identified the woman; however, multiple reports identified the student as transgender.
Following news of the student’s death, criticism quickly grew toward the university’s Turning Point USA chapter, which had planned to host Cole, an activist known for openly opposing gender-affirming care for minors. Students and community members had also organized a protest Wednesday in response to the event, when Cole was scheduled to speak.
Victor Balta, a spokesperson for the University of Washington, stated that the decision to postpone the event was made by the national Turning Point USA organization rather than the university’s local chapter. According to Balta, university officials had been in contact with the student organization regarding concerns surrounding the timing of the event following the recent death within the LGBTQIA+ community.
In an email, Balta stated, “The national TPUSA organization made the decision to cancel the event that was scheduled for today. UW Student Activities Office leadership was in contact with the UW chapter of TPUSA about the appropriateness of the timing of such an event given the recent killing of a member of our LGBTQIA+ community.”
Cole later confirmed on Instagram that she would no longer be speaking at the university. According to The New York Times, Cole previously identified as transgender for years before later detransitioning and has since become a vocal activist against gender-affirming care for minors. She has publicly spoken against such medical treatments and previously sued Kaiser Permanente for allowing her to receive gender-affirming procedures as a minor.
In a video posted online, Cole stated that speaking on college campuses has become increasingly dangerous and cited safety concerns surrounding the event. She stated, “Before Charlie Kirk’s assassination, I think I would have been less careful, but the times have changed, and speaking on a university campus in 2026 can come with consequences. We are postponing this event because of this reality.”
Turning Point USA’s University of Washington chapter also released a statement on Instagram announcing the postponement, claiming members of the organization had received violent threats following the controversy. The group stated, “In light of this tragedy and by an overwhelming surge of violent threats directed at our chapter, threats that appear deliberately designed to falsely associate our peaceful event with the murder, we have made the difficult decision to postpone our upcoming event with Chloe Cole.”
The Seattle Police Department referred questions regarding the reported threats to university police officials, while university representatives did not immediately provide additional details regarding the alleged threats. The Seattle Times also reported that requests for additional information from Turning Point USA representatives and Cole were not immediately answered.
The incident has further intensified ongoing debates surrounding transgender rights, gender-affirming care for minors, and political activism on college campuses. Supporters of the postponed event argued that the university should continue allowing discussions surrounding controversial political topics, while critics believed the event contributed to a hostile environment for transgender students.
As investigations into the student’s death continue, discussions surrounding campus safety, free speech and protections for LGBTQIA+ students remain ongoing at the University of Washington and universities across the country.
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