Conservative commentator Candace Owens, who was suspended from YouTube last month for hate speech against the LGBTQ community, had offered some blunt advice to students at a university in upstate New York.
During the Turning Point USA Live Free Tour in Albany, pregnant Owens spoke out about her concerns that her presence alone had made transgender students feel vulnerable.
During a question-and-answer session, a student asked Owens, “What do you have to say to the trans students on this campus who actively feel victimized by your presence here?”
Owens quickly replied, “Life is hard, get a helmet man, I’m too pregnant for that.”
Some students in the audience cheered her reaction, while others appeared to react in silence and disbelief. Owens’ comment was also praised on social media sites.
Candace Owens gave some clear advice to students during a question-and-answer session in New York State, addressing issues of “free speech” and transgender students
Students expressed concerns that their presence could make transgender students feel vulnerable
Turning Point USA is a nonprofit organization that advocates for conservative politics on high school and college campuses.
Owens seemed proud of her reaction and later shared the video clip of the exchange on social media.
“I am eight months pregnant and have two small children at home. If you’re a 20-year-old adult who feels “actively bullied” by me standing on stage talking about social and economic conservatism, it’s because your parents have completely failed you. “It’s not my job to coddle adults,” she wrote.
So far, the clip has received almost 12 million views.
Owens defended himself vigorously, if not patronizingly, to many questioners
Students asked Owens her opinion on free speech and “gender identity,” and the expert was quick to provide answers
Student: “As a non-binary person, what do you need to tell me about my identity? Because I know for a fact that I’m not confused.”@RealCandaceO: “Great statement…You know your identity. You are not confused. Happy Birthday honey.” pic.twitter.com/LgaKTAkEbZ
— Candace Owens Podcast (@CandaceOwensPod) October 6, 2023
In another clip from the question-and-answer session, a non-binary student confronts Owens about her belief that trans people are “confused.”
“As a non-binary person, what do you need to tell me about my identity?” “Because I know for a fact that I’m not confused,” the student asks.
Owens avoided the question and instead responded by being condescending to her interrogator.
‘OK! Next question. Great statement…you know your identity. You are not confused. Happy Birthday honey. “Thank you very much for your statement,” she replies, shaking her head.
In a third question posted online, a student raised the issue of free speech.
“How do you think free speech affects everyone in the community?” Owens was asked.
As always, Owens responded quickly.
“I mean the idea that if someone looks at a man and calls him a man and he feels insecure because he’s created a false reality in his own head – I don’t stand with that.”
“The left is trying to make it seem like people who see reality for what it is are crazy and creating unsafe territory, and that’s not the truth.” What I think is unsafe is that people in their Delusions are confirmed. Live your life the way you want to live it.
“If I have to pretend to see a woman when you’re clearly a man, I shouldn’t have to play that game,” Owen said to applause.
It’s always a pleasure to listen to Candace, even if it’s just for 25 seconds.
– Obadiah Nwasor (@IamObd) October 5, 2023
Owens’ YouTube channel, which is worth an estimated $1.1 million per year, still appears to be monetized with promotional content. She was suspended from the platform last month
Supporters of Owens praised her sweet responses with a desire to see more
Supporters of Owens praised her sweet responses with a desire to see more.
‘Seriously? When did people become so weak and emotional? “Our ancestors hunted for food, sometimes starving for days before catching prey again, unlike modern humans who feel victimized by the presence of another person on a campus,” one Twitter user wrote.
“It’s always a joy to listen to Candace, even if it’s just for 25 seconds,” wrote another.
The post was also met with negative feedback: One social media user sided with the student who asked the question and suggested that Owens should improve her approach to public speaking.
Another criticized Owens, describing her as “a fraud who will say anything for money.”
Last month, Owens received a warning from YouTube for violating the site’s “hate speech” policies.
A YouTube spokesperson said: “We have issued a warning to the Candace Owens Podcast channel for violating our hate speech policy, which prohibits content that promotes hatred against protected people or groups, including the LGBTQ+ community.”
Three strikes against a YouTube account within 90 days may result in account termination.
Previous content presented by Owens included accusations that anyone who shopped at Target was “gay” and “kinky.” She has also claimed: “Transgenderism is a cancer and we should fight it.”
YouTube’s hate speech policy states that content that “repeatedly targets, insults, and abuses a group based on its status as a protected group across multiple uploads” can result in penalties.
Owens’ YouTube channel has more than 2 million followers and is worth an estimated $1.1 million per year. It still appears to be monetized with content from advertisers.