So he refuses to release the information about the cost of the seminar. The professor asks again, suggesting that such costs are a matter of public record. He says that he is familiar with the professor?s tone (it is allegedly homophobic). Then he warns him that the conversation is ?elevating in a way that makes him feel uncomfortable.?

The ?man? I am referring to suffers from what I call First Amendment Male Menopause Syndrome (FAMMS). FAMMS causes him to have hot flashes and to become emotionally unraveled every time he hears an opinion contrary to his own.

Both of these syndromes, FEMS and FAMMS feed off of the cowardice of the majority. Decent people capitulate to these hypersensitive censors, often thinking that appeasement is the easiest way to handle them. They are wrong.

But, fortunately, there is a simple remedy to be found in the speech codes themselves. Anyone can use this remedy the next time that, for example, a gay man with FAMMS tries to suppress free speech because he is ?offended? by apparent opposition to homosexuality.

First, the ?offender? must take the time to make that opposition more clear. If he chastises the ?offender? with an angry email, the appropriate response is a nice email, preferable with a Bible verse included below the signature. If someone really wanted to have fun, he could make it Leviticus 18:22.

If you decide to send such a note, get ready for the inevitable complaint accusing you of engaging in ?discriminatory speech? by offending someone on the basis of sexual orientation. Then be ready to fire off your own complaint, stating that you were ?offended? by the classification of your religious speech as ?offensive.? Furthermore, cite the very filing of your accuser?s complaint as an act of religious discrimination.

Pretty soon, the university will get the point that its speech code is unworkable, not to mention unconstitutional. If they don?t get the point, drop me a line. I know a few lawyers who are ready to deal with this kind of ?misunderstanding.?

Remember that the First Amendment does not protect people from being offended by your speech. In fact, it was written to protect speech that is offensive.

Most people understand that. Most college administrators do not.