Out Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) is sounding the alarm over a recent statement by Education Secretary Linda McMahon implying that Holocaust denialism is a valid viewpoint for a university professor to hold. In an op-ed for The Hill, Takano recounted his deeply disturbing exchange with McMahon during a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing. Related MAGA education head to introduce ideological purity test to weed out woke teachers Among other things, the assessment will determine whether teachers grasp the fundamental biological differences between boys and girls. Madam Secretary does refusing to hire a Holocaust denier as a member of Harvards history department faculty count as an ideological litmus test? Takano asked. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today I believe that there should be diversity of viewpoints relative to teachings and opinions on campuses.Takano couldnt believe it. Had I just heard that correctly? Had Education SecretaryLinda McMahonreally just said Holocaust denialism was just a diverse viewpoint? I was shocked.He explained the administrations obsession with so-called viewpoint diversity on college campuses. Officials have weaponized the phrase as a dog whistle to mean eliminating progressive values in favor of conservative ones.This is the one diversity program that the administration has deemed not only important, but imperative to future of higher education, Takano wrote. But although McMahon has been beating the drum loudly on the lack of diverse viewpoints on colleges [sic] campuses, shes been vague on what that means and whether the administration has the authority to enforce viewpoint diversity on campus. Takano who is chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus and was the first out LGBTQ+ person of color elected to Congress called out McMahon for her continued inability to hash out the details of how the DOE can enforce this quest for so-called diverse viewpoints. In her hearing before the Senate the previous day, Sen.Chris Murphy(D-CT) pressed the secretary on this very question. Beyond saying that college faculties need more conservative voices, she wasnt able to clearly articulate the powers that the federal government has in that realm, nor was she able to clearly define what viewpoint diversity means, nor the limits that should be recognized.He said this exchange is what led him to ask McMahon for clarification on what counts as a legitimate viewpoint. Thats when she implied that denying the Holocaust may not disqualify a candidate from being hired to Harvards history department. I could write at length about the implications that widely discredited and deeply offensive and dangerously ignorant conspiracy theories should have a place in academic institutions that are at the global forefront of research, Takano wrote. There is also much to be said about that fact that an administration which claims to be fighting against antisemitism does not immediately condemn Holocaust denial and insist that it does not have a place or a platform in higher education.But the pressing issue at stake here is that the administration cannot identify a limit to such viewpoint diversity. He laid out the many questions that McMahon has not addressed. If a candidate for a position in the government department has a sincere political belief that the 2020 election was stolen, should they be hired in the interest of viewpoint diversity although they would not meet the academic standards required for a serious candidate in political science?If they are not hired by the school, does the federal government have the power to punish the university? What does this mean for current faculty who disagree with the administration? He emphasized that regardless of party affiliation, all Americans should be terrified by a federal government attempting to force compliance from an independent institution, particularly one tasked with educating our young people and producing the worlds preeminent research.The White House hasrepeatedlyand explicitly included an end to DEI at Harvard among itsconditionsfor restoring federal research funding. Earlier this month, the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services notified the New England Commission of Higher Education that Harvard is in violation of federal antidiscrimination laws and therefore may fail to meet the standards for accreditation set by the Commission, according toa joint statementfrom the federal departments.The president has weaponized those agencies and others in pursuit ofscouring DEIprograms (and marginalized identities in general) from the federal government and American society at large.A June 30 findingby the current administrations Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism accused Harvard of violent violation of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs or activities that receive federal funding. A judge has also indefinitely blocked the presidents effort to revoke Harvards ability to enroll international students, who make up about a quarter of its enrollment.Earlier this month, Harvard made its most explicit concession yet with the shuttering of three offices that addressed the concerns and advancement of women, LGBTQ+ and minority students. In April, the school renamed its campus-wide Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging to Community and Campus Life.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.