Daily Wire podcast host Candace Owens announced on Sunday that YouTube suspended her account because of her commentary about transgender issues.
In an Instagram video, Owens said YouTube imposed a temporary ban on her channel, and said the lockdown was a result of a review of videos in which she identified trans people by their biological sex and showcased people who expressed remorse over undergoing transgender surgeries. Owens blamed YouTube’s “very opaque policies” for multiple strikes against her account and noted a suspension could last a week or more.
YouTube’s crackdown is a symptom of the latest “globally sanctioned lie” centered on gender ideology, Owens said. Previous cases of narrative-driving falsehoods centered around the Black Lives Matter movement and COVID, but gender ideology is particularly “insidious” because it targets children, Owens added.
A post Owens made to Twitter summarized what she talked about on Instagram.
‼️It’s true, my YouTube account has been suspended and here is what I have to say:
We don’t know exactly what or who is the driving force behind globally-sanctioned lies, but what we do know is that over the past five years, the prevailing lies of the day have shifted… https://t.co/1TqAyM717O
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) June 11, 2023
Owens is not alone in being penalized by YouTube, as The Daily Wire has taken a firm line against the radical transgender craze, especially when it comes to minors being subjected to irreversible chemical and even surgical treatments.
Daily Wire co-CEO Jeremy Boreing announced Sunday evening that a number of accounts associated with his company have received 104 violations for “Hateful and Derogatory” content on Youtube over the past 90 days, mainly directed at commentary about transgender issues.
Beyond Owens’ page, accounts for Matt Walsh, Ben Shapiro, Michael Knowles, Andrew Klavan, Brett Cooper, and Jordan Peterson have all received violations, Boreing said. Penalties include Walsh being demonetized last month, Owens and Knowles being suspended for seven days after receiving a “second strike,” and Peterson getting his “first strike.” Three strikes in 90 days and an account gets deleted, Boreing noted.
“Everyone knew the truth then – just like everyone knows men are not women,” Boreing said in a Twitter thread. “YouTube only does more damage the longer it keeps its finger on the scales.”
The Daily Wire reached out to YouTube seeking comment on the thread, but did not immediately receive a reply.
Peterson, a DailyWire+ contributor, said on Saturday that YouTube had removed a video — in which he and author Helen Joyce discuss gender ideology — for allegedly violating the platform’s “hate speech policy.” In a series of tweets, Peterson said, “To say I am tired of being accused in this manner by narcissistic authoritarians is to say almost nothing.” He ended up posting the full video to Twitter at Twitter CEO Elon Musk’s behest.
Refusing to back down, Owens said she believes truth-tellers will be “vindicated” in the end. In the meantime, Owens said she will make more announcements this coming week and will continue to post videos from her show to Twitter, where the host said Musk appears to be open to allowing “true speech” for open debate.
Owens also encouraged supporters to subscribe to her YouTube channel, saying a surge in followers during her suspension would help to “stick it” to the platform.