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Elon Musk has promoted a conservative documentary after he was accused of ‘throttling’ free speech when Twitter previously censured it.
The Twitter owner said on Friday that ‘Every parent should watch’ the Daily Wire’s ‘What is a Woman?’ film, which sees one of the right-wing outlet’s columnists, Matt Walsh, question the transgender movement.
‘Consenting adults should do whatever makes them happy, provided it does not harm others, but a child is not capable of consent, which is why we have laws protecting minors,’ said Musk, who has an estranged transgender child, Vivian.
But his praise follows accusations on Thursday that the billionaire had backed out of a deal to air the film without sharing restrictions on the platform over concerns that it misgendered trans people.
Musk replied to several complaints regarding the censorship, and said the issue would be fixed on Friday – indeed, Twitter users could share the documentary by Friday, like Musk himself did.
Elon Musk has promoted the conservative documentary ‘What is a Woman’ after he was accused of ‘throttling’ free speech when Twitter previously censured it
The Twitter owner said on Friday that ‘Every parent should watch’ the Daily Wire’s film
Musk said the move to restrict the film had been a ‘mistake’ by Twitter execs
‘The film has been shared 30 thousand times in just the last couple of hours,’ Walsh said on Friday. ‘Once again, the Left’s efforts to censor and suppress have backfired in spectacular fashion. What a great way to ring in Pride Month.’
On Thursday, Daily Wire CEO Jeremy Boreing claimed Twitter representatives had told him the platform would ‘no longer provide us any support and would actually limit the reach of the film and label it as ‘hateful conduct’ because of ‘misgendering.’
Musk, who is currently in China for business, jumped on the issue from abroad, replying to Boreing with an explanation, claiming the move had been a ‘mistake’ by Twitter execs.
‘It is definitely allowed [to misgender people],’ he tweeted in response to Boreing’s tweets. ‘Whether or not you agree with using someone’s preferred pronouns, not doing so is at most rude and certainly breaks no laws.’
‘I should note that I do personally use someone’s preferred pronouns, just as I use someone’s preferred name, simply from the standpoint of good manners,’ Musk added. ‘However, for the same reason, I object to rude behavior, ostracism or threats of violence if the wrong pronoun or name is used.’
Boreing said he appreciated Musk’s response, but went on to cite that a series of test posts containing scenes Twitter staffers had deemed problematic ‘were indeed labeled ‘hateful conduct’ with their share functions disabled.
‘We are trying to reach your team to determine what this means for those posts, whether or not our event tonight will be allowed to proceed unencumbered, and whether or not we will be allowed to purchase the live event page and reach block as originally agreed,’ Boreing explained.
‘I appreciate your view of polite behavior, but our business is to debate public policy and philosophy,’ he continued. ‘As such, we have an obligation to speak in ways consistent with our position. Our hope is that Twitter remains a place where we are free to do so.’
Twitter – once thought to be a haven for First Amendment revelers following Musk’s $44billion takeover last year – recently removed ‘misgendering’ from their terms of service, but in statements to The Daily Wire, claimed that to be a misunderstanding.
Clarifying their decision, staffers reportedly told Boreing they simply removed their pronoun policy to streamline their hate-speech related policies.
With the 2012 film set to air for free on Twitter’s Spaces in honor of its first anniversary – staffers explained they still considered ‘misgendering’ abuse and harassment, and would not be airing it unrestricted.
‘They gave us the opportunity to edit the film to comply,’ Boering revealed Thursday in one of several tweets just hours ahead from the agreed air time of 8pm ET. ‘We declined,’ he added.
Musk replied to several complaints regarding the censorship, and said the issue would be fixed on Friday – indeed, Twitter users could share the documentary by Friday, like Musk himself did
Canadian author Jordan Peterson posted an image that showed Ben Shapiro, Walsh and Candace Owens waiting to hear the platform’s decision
Musk’s transgender daughter, Vivian, said last year she wanted nothing to do with him
Canadian author Jordan Peterson, who was with the Daily Wire’s team as they lobbied Twitter to remove restrictions from the film, posted an image that showed Walsh and conservative commentators Ben Shapiro and Candace Owens waiting to hear the platform’s decision.
‘What exactly is sensitive about the What is a Woman content? I’m not being rude or provocative. We’re all here at the DW+ actively trying to figure out what’s going on @elonmusk,’ he wrote.
Ella Irwin, Twitter’s head of trust and safety department, which oversees content moderation policy, resigned on Thursday. It’s unclear if she did so in relation to the documentary’s airing.
In the barrage of posts, Boering revealed it was two scenes in particular that resulted in the deal being pulled, despite the film already being released for the better part of a year.
‘Specifically,’ he said, laying out the aforementioned scenes staffers took issue with while using the film subjects’ nonpreferred pronoun, ‘In the film, a father refers to his 14-year-old daughter as ‘her,’ and a store owner uses the ‘wrong’ pronoun in a confrontation with a trans person.’
Musk’s transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, said last year she wanted nothing to do with him after she was granted a legal request to change her name and gender identity when she turned 18.
Wilson asked the court to change her name to agree with her gender identity and said: ‘I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form.’
Wilson, who has a twin named Griffin and was formerly named Xavier Alexander Musk, officially adopted her mother, Justine’s, maiden name.
Musk was married to Canadian author Justine from 2000 to 2008.
