Austin has become a focal point of protest as students and community members voice their dissent against the Natal Conference, a gathering that has sparked controversy over its alleged promotion of eugenics and far-right ideologies. The conference is scheduled to take place this weekend on the University of Texas at Austin campus, spurring discontent among those who believe it disseminates dangerous viewpoints.
According to CBS Austin, about a dozen protesters rallied outside the Bullock Museum, where some attendees were arriving for a reception linked to the Natal Conference. Charges leveled against the event include the hosting of speakers with right-wing affiliations and an underlying eugenics agenda. Arshia Papadi, an organizer with Austin Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), claimed that the conference is a front for spreading pseudoscience around race and genetics, telling CBS Austin, "We're here to oppose the fact that there's a pro eugenics, pro race science, pseudoscience organization with far-right leanings and far right Speaker lineups coming to our city, coming to our campus to spread their ideology around eugenics and race science."
Although the AT&T Hotel & Conference Center — the primary venue for the conference — is affiliated with UT Austin, the university maintains its non-discrimination policy on event hosting. In a statement regarding their hosting of the Natal Conference, the university stated, "The AT&T Hotel & Conference Center leases space to non-University groups for their events without regard to their viewpoint consistent with the First Amendment," as obtained by CBS Austin. Despite its claims of non-involvement, protesters highlighted that the center prominently advertises its campus location and linkages.
KVUE reported that the SDS planned to assemble at the Bullock Museum on Friday to protest the Natal Conference. Disapproving students have been critical of UT's decision to allow the conference, with SDS claiming that UT has sanctioned a platform for fascist pseudoscience. The event's speakers, as reported by The Austin Chronicle and listed on the conference website, include controversial figures such as Kevin Dolan, Jack Posobiec, and Razib Khan, whose past racial and anti-immigrant rhetoric has raised serious concerns.
Ticket prices for the Natal Conference were set at $1,000, and per the conference's ticketing page, it's indicated as sold out. The protesters' stance remains firm, demanding that UT revoke access for the conference to campus facilities. As captured during an SDS rally, they argued for pushing back against ideologies akin to those espoused by neo-Nazi movements to protect the Austin community from what they perceive as an encroachment of hate.
