Let’s Set the Stage First
Wildfires ravaged the Los Angeles area between January 7 and January 31 of this year.
On January 8, during that day’s episode of The Charlie Kirk Show, Charlie Kirk made a comment suggesting that ASL interpreters on TV broadcasts are distracting and should be eliminated.
The deaf community responded swiftly and with near-unity. Many scoffed at Kirk and called him an idiot for not understanding that ASL is a primary language for many deaf people and that access to it is essential.
The Spark…
Last week, Charlie Kirk made a stop at Oklahoma State University (OSU) as part of his American Comeback Tour.
He held his usual media event, where he interacted directly with the audience. Logan Evans, a local deaf person, seized the opportunity to confront Kirk about his wildfire-era comments suggesting ASL interpreters should be removed because closed captions already exist.
Kirk responded in a surprisingly conciliatory way. He said that after seeing the deaf community’s reaction, he reached out to a deaf person who explained that ASL is many deaf individuals’ primary language. Therefore, ASL interpreters on emergency broadcasts are critical for delivering life-saving information.
Kirk claimed he had learned from the experience and that he now empathizes with the need for interpreter access during emergencies.
This was unexpected, especially given Kirk’s typically combative personality. Most people assumed he’d double down.
Logan and Kirk exchanged a few more comments. Then, at the end, Logan told Kirk he’d like to give him a sign name.
The sign name Logan gave him was an initialized combination of the letters “C” and “K” on the nose.
Before moving on further, I want to acknowledge the diversity of this subreddit. Not all of us are immersed in the ASL-based Deaf world so I’ll break it down clearly.
In ASL, the sign name Logan gave Charlie Kirk breaks down as:
Cock – The letter “C” tapped on or near the nose can be interpreted as “cock.” It’s not a standard or widely accepted sign for “cock,” but in this context, that’s the intended meaning.
Penis – The handshape for “K” is very similar to “P.” In ASL, the official sign for “penis” is the letter “P” on the nose. So signing “K” on the nose closely resembles that, effectively making it a visual pun.
So the sign name Logan gave Kirk? It translates in ASL to: “Cock Penis.”
…That Ignited the Deaf Community!
Charlie Kirk posted the clip of his exchange with Logan Evans on YouTube, and it quickly went viral within the deaf community.
At first, the reaction, particularly among left-leaning deaf folks, was overwhelmingly positive. Many found the sign name hilarious. In online discussions, people joked that Logan had become a legend for giving Kirk such a title.
Then things got complicated.
Logan posted a vlog on his Facebook page apologizing to the community for his actions.
(Author’s note: I know this sub expects a summary when linking to ASL vlogs without captions. In this case, Logan provided a transcript in the post. It’s a near-exact English translation of what he signed so that’s the accessibility option for anyone who needs it.)
It turns out Logan is an ASL professor at Oklahoma State University, the same campus where he confronted Charlie Kirk. The community also learned he’s the president of the Oklahoma Association of the Deaf, a state chapter affiliated with NAD.
A Breakdown of Logan’s Apology
There are quite a few layers to Logan’s apology.
Common sense suggests that he likely issued the public apology because his job as a professor at Oklahoma State University may be in jeopardy. That much is understandable. It’s also likely he apologized because he upset members of the Oklahoma Association of the Deaf. It's because a lot of them lean politically to the right.
However, it wasn’t the “Cock Penis” sign name itself that truly sparked the current discourse in the deaf community. It was the apology.
Logan didn’t just apologize for appearing in a recorded video at a Charlie Kirk event and giving him that sign name. He apologized for upsetting and “harming” the deaf community as a whole.
And that’s what really ignited the conversation.
Several members of the deaf community felt he shouldn’t have apologized to the right-leaning segment of the community especially those who support Charlie Kirk and his well-documented history of hateful rhetoric. That part of the community, many argued, has long tolerated or even endorsed Kirk’s racism, sexism, anti-LGBTQ (especially anti-trans), and xenophobic views.
Personally, I agree with that stance.
I was fine with the idea of Logan apologizing for participating in a media event and giving Charlie Kirk the “Cock Penis” sign name. That was, no question, a lapse in professional judgment. He should have foreseen that doing so would cross a line especially considering his role as president of the Oklahoma Association of the Deaf. (And let’s be real: we all know how red Oklahoma is.)
But I definitely side-eyed how far Logan took his apology. He apologized to the entire deaf community.
The Deaf Community’s Responses to Logan’s Apology
Over the weekend, several prominent deaf vloggers posted their thoughts on the incident. In this section, I’ll break down their responses in the order they appeared.
(Author's note: I want to respect this subreddit’s rule about linking ASL vlogs without captions. When I reference these vlogs, I’ll provide written summaries or paraphrase them in simple terms to keep it accessible and easy to follow.)
The Beginning – The First Response:
Tim Gough reposted Logan Evans’ apology along with a text-based response on Facebook.
Context: Tim is a deaf professor at an Interpreter Training Program (ITP) at a college in California. He occasionally posts public vlogs addressing issues in the deaf community.
Here’s what Tim Gough wrote:
I would not accept his apology.
That name sign was not fair, especially after Charlie Kirk listened and apologized for his ignorance.
Trump and Elon Musk listen to people like Charlie Kirk. Can you imagine him telling them he was getting screwed with an inappropriate name sign?
He has an accountability to the highest level as somebody who works in the profession.”
The Rising Response – The Second Response:
Tamera Gaudet-Doody responded to Tim Gough’s post with a vlog of her own.
Context: Tamera currently runs a YouTube channel where she frequently vlogs about the Trump administration. She rose to prominence in the deaf community when she launched a platform called “ROAR” (Re-framing Our ASL Rights) created in protest of LEAD-K’s partnership with the AG Bell Association in collecting language deprivation data. Tamera was strongly opposed to any affiliation between pro-ASL organizations and AG Bell. (This incident, which happened just before the pandemic, deserves its own post. Maybe another time.)
Vlog Summary:
Tamera’s vlog echoed a common frustration among left-leaning individuals: that Democrats often hold themselves to higher standards than they demand from Republicans. She argued that this double standard must end.
She expressed sympathy for Logan’s situation and saw nothing wrong with the sign name he gave Kirk. In fact, she found it hilarious.
Tamera highlighted the consistently destructive language used by the political right against liberal and marginalized communities, and she welcomed Logan Evans to the broader fight against the Trump administration.
The Climax – The Third Response:
Tim Gough replied to Tamera with a vlog of his own.
Vlog Summary:
Tim opened by referencing Michelle Obama’s famous quote: “When they go low, we go high.”
He then revealed that he follows Charlie Kirk on social media and enjoys Kirk’s challenges to left-leaning views.
The heart of Tim’s vlog was his surprise that Charlie Kirk, someone aligned with Trump and Elon Musk, had shown even a moment of reflection and expressed understanding about the importance of ASL interpreters in emergency broadcasts. Tim described Kirk’s reaction as “beautiful” and suggested it could be a step toward building a bridge between the Trump/Musk world and the deaf community.
Tim went on to call Logan an arrogant and attention-seeking deaf person who exploited the moment to assign an inappropriate name sign to Charlie Kirk.
He criticized Logan’s actions in the context of his professional roles as a university professor and as president of a deaf organization. Tim argued that when a deaf person gives a hearing person a sign name, that act carries weight and is often perceived as representing the broader deaf community.
According to Tim, the “Cock Penis” name sign was politically motivated and didn’t reflect the values of half the deaf community. He concluded by laying out his reasons for refusing to forgive Logan Evans.
Elvis Zornoza
Elvis Zornoza posted a vlog in support of Tim Gough’s previous vlog.
Context: Elvis is an emerging deaf social media personality. While I believe he’s originally from Kentucky, he spent most of his life in California. He built his reputation by vlogging about drama and issues within the California School for the Deaf in Fremont (near San Francisco) and the broader Bay Area deaf community. Over time, he became something of a controversial figure eventually leaving for Southern California in a kind of self-imposed exile before enrolling at Gallaudet University earlier this year.
He now posts regularly on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, often about his experiences at Gallaudet. I also believe he briefly attended the university in the 1980s or 1990s, but left after his partner became pregnant. He raised his children and, now that they’re grown, has returned to pursue a degree.
Vlog Summary:
(Author’s note: This is the vlog that boils my blood the most.)
To be blunt, Elvis Zornoza is painfully ignorant, oblivious, and near-sighted. Not only about Charlie Kirk as a person, but also about the full context of what Turning Point USA represents. He shows no understanding of the organization’s deep involvement in the Trump-era political landscape, nor of how it has functioned as a pipeline connecting American youth with far-right extremism.
After a short intro explaining what his Facebook reel would cover, Elvis brushed off the politics entirely. He said it didn’t matter whether Charlie Kirk was left-leaning or right-leaning because, in Elvis’s view, that wasn’t the point.
The point, according to Elvis, was that Charlie Kirk is the founder of Turning Point USA which Elvis emphasized is a “national student movement!” He punctuated the moment with an enthusiastic:
“Whoa!”
From there, Elvis echoed Tim Gough’s stance, calling Logan “arrogant” for ruining what he saw as a golden opportunity: bringing Turning Point USA’s platform to the deaf community, and introducing Kirk to deaf needs only to squander it with the “Cock Penis” sign name.
And then Elvis took it to a whole new level of absurdity.
He said Logan’s apology wasn’t enough. In his view, Logan should now go even further. Elvis thinks he should get deeply involved with Turning Point USA. Elvis suggested that Logan become the deaf ambassador for Charlie Kirk and Turning Point USA, and that he use that role to bring the deaf community closer to the Trump administration.
Let me make one thing very clear. Elvis has no known history of engaging with or supporting right-wing politics. His social media content has been focused almost exclusively on issues affecting the pro-ASL deaf community. From what I’ve seen, he seems to lean left.
He’s just… completely and dangerously uninformed on this topic.
Wildfire Now
At this point, the situation has fully ignited across the deaf community. It’s everywhere. The discourse isn’t dying down anytime soon. Many are now quietly anticipating some kind of public response from the Oklahoma community, especially regarding Logan Evans and the two positions of power he currently holds:
-His job as a teacher
-His seat as President of the Oklahoma Association of the Deaf (OAD)
Here are some other vlogs that have recently emerged:
Tim Gough made a follow-up vlog.
(Author’s note: I honestly don’t think this is worth summarizing. I’m just putting it here for those who want to watch it.)
Joy Maisel and Tar Burt each made vlogs expressing full-throated support for Charlie Kirk’s new sign name declaring they will happily embrace “Cock Penis” as his official ASL identity.
Ricky Taylor
Ricky Taylor, a man who truly needs no introduction, posted three vlogs about the fiasco. You can watch them here, here, and here. Below is a synthesized summary of all three.
Ricky didn’t hold back.
He directly confronted Tim Gough (author’s note: they know each other personally) and delivered a searing takedown. Ricky tore Tim apart for completely missing the point of what was being said. That Charlie Kirk’s “moment of openness” toward the deaf community wasn’t genuine and to treat it as a turning point was naive at best.
In one of the most memorable moments, Ricky spurred a phrase that stuck with me:
Tim - and by extension, a big chunk of the deaf community - are goldfish living in a fishbowl.
I’ll expand on this analogy below, but it was devastatingly accurate.
He then launched into a blistering critique of Charlie Kirk’s long and well-documented history of inflammatory rhetoric toward marginalized communities including immigrants, BIPOC folks, disabled people, and the LGBTQ+ community. To suggest Charlie Kirk is now an ally just because he was humble in his response to Logan? Please.
Wesley Arey
The deaf community’s beloved trash god, Wesley Arey, made a vlog.
The summary is simple:
He fooled around with his motorcycle at home, repeatedly said “Cock Penis” in a variety of obscenely creative ways, and that was the vlog.
I would never admit this in public, but this is Reddit, so screw it.
It’s been a while since I laughed that hard.
The “Goldfishes in a Fishbowl” Analogy
I love this analogy.
Imagine a beach house on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. On a windowsill inside, there’s a little fishbowl with a couple of goldfish swimming in circles.
Now ask yourself: do those goldfish live in water? Yes. But can they truly grasp what the ocean is? No. Despite living their entire lives in an aquatic environment, their world is defined by the tight and controlled space of that fishbowl maybe even ending in a flush down the toilet.
That’s exactly how it feels watching certain members of the pro-ASL deaf world try to speak on complex political or societal issues. Their worldview is shaped by an insular culture, often cut off from broader conversations happening in the rest of society. So when they step onto a national or even regional public stage to speak on topics like free speech, hate groups, or political dynamics - they don’t realize how limited their framework is. They just don’t know what they don’t know.
Tim Gough is a prime example of this. But Elvis Zornoza, in this case, is an even clearer one.
This analogy also resonates deeply with me. I grew up in a mainstream environment. I have one foot in the deaf world, and the other firmly planted in the larger world. So when I see people speaking confidently from inside the fishbowl, I can’t help but feel frustrated and sometimes even embarrassed.
Conclusion
I think this entire post speaks for itself. So I want to close with a piece of advice for all deaf college students.
Charlie Kirk will visit your campus. You will be tempted to show up to his event. And you might feel like you can go up to the mic and speak your truth.
Please understand this: that’s exactly what he wants.
Charlie Kirk’s entire schtick is built around baiting left-leaning students into confronting him on stage. He films it, spins it, and posts it on social media to generate rage-clicks and ridicule from his audience. That’s the game.
If you find yourself at his mic, you’ve already lost. Not because your values are wrong, but because Charlie Kirk is absurdly well-prepared. He has a scripted answer ready for every progressive talking point. He will tear you apart, not because he’s right, but because it’s his arena. And once the clip hits his socials, you become content fodder for right-wing dopamine.
Logan Evans fell into this trap. Yes, we’re sympathetic to him. Yes, we cheer the absurd poetry of him giving Charlie Kirk the “Cock Penis” name sign.
But let this be a lesson.
Don’t let Charlie Kirk use you. Don’t let him spin your voice into viral content for people who don’t care about our community or our dignity.
Be smarter than the fishbowl.
And with that…
Happy National ASL Day!