Two weeks ago, Student Government passed a free speech resolution that expresses support for a controversial bill making its way through the Iowa Legislature that could bar members of the LGBTQIA+ community from leadership positions.

While the resolution was not passed with overwhelming support — 14-2-9 — the legislation focused on Senate Study Bill 1099 and House File 316, which advocate for free speech and religious liberties at regent universities.

However, the underlying tones of the aforementioned bills allow for organizations to discriminate based on the beliefs and values of said group. While many senators have since walked back their support of the resolution or have expressed their opposition to, some still believe that the controversial component of the bill is important.

Sen. Jacob Schrader, who introduced the resolution, told the Iowa State Daily that he believes these changes would help further the goals of certain student organizations.

“It is not denying membership to the club,” Schrader said. “It is simply denying leadership, and I believe clubs should be able to set requirements for their leaders that align with what the group is supposed to be about.”

On the following Wednesday, several students spoke in opposition of the resolution.

Taylor Blair, a junior in industrial design, encouraged the senators to not just rescind the endorsement of the bill but condemn it.

“Why is there a single group whose mission would be altered because a queer person is on their board? A black person is on their board? Why? I don’t understand that,” Blair said.

While it is concerning that the Student Government passed a resolution without knowing the full extent of what it was supporting, the growing movement of using free speech and the First Amendment as a disguise to enhance hateful rhetoric and espouse harmful beliefs is just as concerning.

On Saturday, President Donald Trump announced an executive order that would cut federal research money to universities that lag support of free speech. Trump made this announcement during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington and provided no additional details as to when the executive order would be signed.

Free speech, while it should be heavily advocated for at all levels, has been a point of contention for many universities, including among conservative and liberal students. The boundaries of which speech exists should not be used as a point of leverage to benefit one party over another.

It should also not be used as a discriminative tactic with the shield of the First Amendment in front of it.

Free speech should be used to bring people together rather than create divisions. The First Amendment is inherent to a thriving democracy, but it cannot be twisted or tainted to be used for hate or as a leverage technique as recent incidents have shown.