On June 3, Louder with Crowder returned to YouTube after the channel’s second suspension. After the show stopped livestreaming on YouTube and continued to stream behind the BlazeTV paywall, Crowder engaged in a homophobic tirade, claiming that being gay could make mental health issues, promiscuity, and AIDS “more likely.” He also ludicrously asserted that “all major historical gay figures” had AIDS.
After returning to YouTube, Steven Crowder goes on hateful tirade against Pride
Crowder claimed “all major historical gay figures” had AIDS
Written by Jason Campbell
Research contributions from Brianna January
Published
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From the June 3, 2021, edition of BlazeTV's Louder with Crowder
STEVEN CROWDER (HOST): Here's the thing: I don't have a problem -- if people want to be gay, sure, fine, whatever. I don't care. And if you want to say you have a month, OK, fine --
DAVE LANDAU (CO-HOST): I have a lot of former friends that are gay.
CROWDER: I don't care. If you want to start having sex on floats, OK, that's an issue. That's an issue. That's what happens in San Francisco or the Folsom Street Fair. But these are the people who are put out there as ambassadors. And now that becomes a problem because now it's a conversation of sexualizing children. Now, if we just look at it -- look, with kids, you're going to say, "OK, you're born gay. You're born straight." Fine, let's just go with that. But you overwhelmingly celebrate gay. If it's just something that's a part of you, it either shouldn't be celebrated or certainly you wouldn't celebrate the one of the two versions that results in HIV, more likely; AIDS, more likely; promiscuity, more likely; mental health issues, more likely, but lower domestic abuse with gay people, higher with lesbians.
My point is if you're just going to celebrate, hey, the preference of friction, why wouldn't you celebrate the one that makes for the most productive environment for children and has worked for perpetuating the human species since ever. That's all I'm saying. I just don't think you need -- you're like -- you're just like telling kids, "Hey, hey, isn't it great? They're gay." What does that mean? It means they have sex in a way that doesn't work.
GERALD MORGAN JR. (CO-HOST): That has no productive value.
CROWDER: OK, fine. I don't care. But I don't know how this requires a month and people who died get a day. That's all.
...
CROWDER: Honestly, let's look at all major historical gay figures. You look at Milk.
...
You look at Harvey Milk. You look at people, you look at [UNINTELLIGIBLE] -- these are people with AIDS. These are people -- look, I think that if we want people to be happy you say, "Well, that shouldn't be an example. Pick the domesticated Dave Rubin and make him your ambassador." I just like -- in other -- like look at the -- I'm just saying you're not pointing to get examples because it's not about what usually -- what we used to want to do with children was encourage them, right? Guide them toward the kind of behavior that would create the most content, fulfilled, and productive members of society. Now it's about making sure that they have the greatest awareness of the most marginalized victims. That's why they're not picking the Buzz Aldrin of the gay community. I'm just saying. I don't even know who he is. Maybe it's Buzz Aldrin.
YouTube has a hate speech policy which states that the platform will remove any content promoting hatred against individuals and groups for attributes including sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. It specifies that content is in violation of this policy if it claims “that individuals or groups are physically or mentally inferior, deficient, or diseased based on any of the attributes noted above.” In November 2020, YouTube removed two anti-trans videos from the right-wing propaganda network PragerU for violating this policy as they compared being trans to having a mental illness.
YouTube formally rebuked Crowder in March for violating its policy on misinformation and demeaning content. That same month, YouTube removed a video because it spread misinformation regarding COVID-19. In May, YouTube once again struck Crowder’s channel for violating the platform’s harassment, threats, and cyberbullying policy. During the particular episode that garnered the channel its second strike, Crowder and his co-hosts had mocked Ohio police shooting victim Ma’Khia Bryant’s weight.
Crowder’s show has consistently trafficked in racist, sexist, bigoted, and bullying content. He has also consistently promoted conspiracy theories and misinformation. By allowing Crowder to return to the platform with his long record of violating its content policies, YouTube is acting against the interests of those groups it claims to protect.