On Nov. 6, 2024, the day after former U.S. President Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, photos appeared on social media showing two demonstrators at Texas State University in San Marcos carrying misogynistic and homophobic signs that read "Women are property" and "Homo sex is a sin."
Pictures of the offensive signs quickly spread on social media, including posts on X and Reddit. Snopes readers wrote in to ask if the signs were real.
They were.
Texas State's student newspaper, The University Star, published a photo gallery showing two demonstrators with offensive signs surrounded by at least 100 counterprotesters, some of whom were holding signs reading "Jesus loves y'all," "Jesus values and respects Texas State women" and other messaging. According to the student newspaper, the demonstrators were not affiliated with the university. Instead, they were members of The Official Street Preachers, a news organization that "covers global and local events from a Christian perspective."
The outrage over the signs led university president Kelly Damphousse to write a letter to the university community condemning the hateful speech. Damphousse noted that Texas law requires the public universities, like Texas State, "to make public outdoor campus spaces open to what are known as 'expressive activities,' even by external groups with whom none of us agree."
Some Texas State alumni left comments on social media posts noting that this was not the first time the group had appeared on campus with provocative and hateful signs.