“They Tried To Silence My Son—We Didn’t Back Down”

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Activist/Author Gloria Giorno Sounds Off Against College Students’ Attempt To Destroy Her Son

In this episode of United Patriots Uprising, Gary Binford welcomes activist and author Gloria Giorno for a candid conversation about campus intimidation, parental courage, and protecting free speech from the woke mob.

When Belmont University’s student body president, Stevie, thanked America’s Founders on his personal Instagram for Independence Day, the backlash was swift and unforgiving. A petition called the Fourth “covertly racist,” comment storms urged him to “kill yourself,” and whispers turned into threats. Instead of caving, the Giornos documented everything, pressed administrators for safety, and kept speaking truth.

Watch the full conversation

Why This Story, and Why Now

Gloria’s new book, Outcast: How the Radical Left Tried to Destroy a Young Conservative, isn’t just about one campus. It’s a window into how young conservatives are isolated, labeled, and pressured into silence—often at schools marketed as “Christian” or “values-based.” Her message: if it can happen there, it can happen anywhere.

From “Happy 4th” Post to Online Mob

A simple thank-you to America’s Founders triggered hundreds of hostile comments and a Change.org petition demanding Stevie’s removal as student body president. Overnight, patriotism became “harm.” The point wasn’t debate—it was punishment and removal.

When Safety Became the Issue

Threats escalated to “on sight.” Stevie required a police escort between classes and was told to park far from campus buildings. The family turned over every message and insisted on concrete safety steps. Bureaucracy moved slowly; they didn’t.

“Post the Black Square—or Else”

Stevie was pressured by peers and his fraternity to endorse BLM publicly. As a member of a Gold Star family, he refused to support an anti-police, Marxist-tinged movement. He wouldn’t trade conviction for social approval—and paid the social cost.

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Debate Night: Excluded, Then Reinstated

Belmont hosted a presidential debate. Stevie was initially sidelined because of his conservative views. Persistence—and a paper trail—prevailed. He attended and fulfilled his duties. Principle, calmly applied, changed the outcome.

Lessons from Communist Yugoslavia

Gloria lived it. “Free” services come with a bill—your freedom. Property rights disappear; police enforce ideology; dissent is dangerous. Her warning to Americans: authoritarian reflexes grow fast when people are afraid, distracted, or eager to conform.

A Candid Playbook for Parents

Show up locally (school boards, library reviews, curriculum nights). Document everything (screenshots, emails, timelines). Teach your kids to argue facts, not slogans. Build community so your student isn’t isolated when pressure comes.

What Readers Will Learn

The shift: How a patriotic post became a pretext for punishment.
The machinery: Petitions, pile-ons, and procedural exclusion.
The stand: How documentation and steady resolve protect your student.
The warning: What Gloria’s communist upbringing reveals about “soft” authoritarianism on campus.
The path forward: Practical steps for families to defend truth without rage or retreat.

About Gloria Giorno

Gloria Giorno is a Christian conservative activist and entrepreneur, founder of The Reagan Society, and co-author of Outcast, which chronicles the attempt to intimidate her son Stevie at Belmont University. Drawing on her childhood in Communist Yugoslavia, she advocates for parental engagement, state-led education reform, and unapologetic free speech.