Elon Musk says he has one ask of his gay friends: “Have children.”
Musk was commenting on X (where else?), following the fallout from his interview with Don Lemon.
X (formerly Twitter) agreed to hire Don Lemon to exclusively broadcast his new interview show. Lemon interviewed Musk for the launch episode. However, Musk did not like Lemon’s questions. The veteran CNN reporter grilled Musk about his worldview and how X has changed since he took it over.
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Many accounts previously barred have rejoined. LGBTQ+ advocates accuse the platform of allowing hate speech to proliferate under the guise of “free speech”.
Following the interview, Musk informed Lemon his contract was canceled. Lemon’s show now airs on YouTube instead.
In an interview yesterday, Lemon suggested to tech journalist Kara Swisher that Musk may have been uncomfortable “Sitting in front of a gay Black guy.”
Don Lemon and Kara Swisher discuss if they think Elon Musk felt “uncomfortable” answering questions from “a gay black guy” pic.twitter.com/N0C379B9BK
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) March 21, 2024
This has prompted a big reaction online. Musk, who is the father of a trans child, has made little secret of his opposition to trans rights and gender-affirming care for minors. Just yesterday he reshared some right-wing hysteria about the LGBTQ+ advocates “coming for your children.”
“They are,” agreed Musk.
They are https://t.co/qRaQurogD3
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 21, 2024
Musk himself says he regards his politics as “centrist”. He’s simply engaged in a “battle to the death with the anti-civilizational woke mind virus.”
In response, someone pushed Musk about whether he “loves gays” or not.
Musk replied, “My observation is that people are born one way or another – it is not a choice.
“People should find mutual love and happiness where their heart leads them.
“I only ask of my gay friends that they have children for the continuance of civilization.”
My observation is that people are born one way or another – it is not a choice.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 21, 2024
People should find mutual love and happiness where their heart leads them.
I only ask of my gay friends that they have children for the continuance of civilization.
Falling fertility rates
Why Musk would ask gay people to have children is unclear. There are records of same-sex attraction going back to ancient civilizations. The presence of a minority of gay people in any population does not doom a civilization. In fact, with the earth’s population hovering around eight billion, many would argue the world is having too many babies.
Then again, Musk might be responding to a fall in fertility rates among Western nations. Earlier this week, research suggested 75% of nations face “underpopulation” by 2050.
For a population to stay the same size, countries must achieve a ‘replacement’ level fertility rate of 2.1 kids per woman. However, that’s fallen significantly in high-income countries.
“Powerhouses such as Britain and the US will have to become reliant on immigration to avoid the ‘immense’ consequences the situation threatens,” screamed a story in the Daily Mail.
The topic is something Musk himself has talked about before. In 2017, he said the Earth’s population is, “accelerating towards collapse but few seem to notice or care.”
Whatever he was talking about, Musk’s “ask” of his gay friends prompted a divided opinion online. Some of his slavish followers seemed disappointed Musk wasn’t more anti-gay.
"I only ask of my gay friends that they have children for the continuance of civilization."
— Is this your elephant (@canwedealwithit) March 21, 2024
Children need mother and father
Musk, 52, is clearly happy to do his part to boost the earth’s population. He has ten children to date. He’s also famously a workaholic, and some questioned his own parenting skills.
Says one of the worst absentee Dads around. I think I'll pass on your advice guy.
— Big City Tesla (@Big_City_Tesla) March 21, 2024
Others wanted to know more about these supposed “friends”.
You don’t have gay friends
— Turntina Aguilera (@TinaAguilera89) March 21, 2024
And others just plain disagreed with his analysis.
@elonmusk , for the continuance of civilization, fewer humans on this planet would be a blessing. The reason we’re experiencing so many difficulties is the result of too many people competing for the same limited resources, especially clean fresh water.
— martha heinz (@heinz_martha) March 21, 2024
Gay activist and actor George Takie went viral with his response. He asked, for the sake of civilization, that Musk please stop having children of his own.
Can we ask that you stop for the same reason? pic.twitter.com/FKtevW8Bu3
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) March 21, 2024
Related:
George Takei takes down Joe Manchin with one tweet
The gay actor has no time for Manchin’s opposition to the Build Back Better bill.
Amid Elon Musk drama, Don Lemon to marry partner Tim Malone
Lemon’s new show debuts on YouTube today
ShaverC
Is it really unclear why Musk asked gays to have children? The quote was just above the question, “for the continuance of civilization.”
Although I don’t know why Musk cancelled Lemon’s contract, I would assume it’s not the questions he asked, but the attitude Lemon copped when he got Musk’s replies. Lemon had an agenda and was angry Musk was smarter than him and didn’t take the bait. Now, of course, Lemon is crying racism.
m
Troll
gft77
If Musk was smarter than Lemon, he wouldn’t have fired him right after the interview. It shows how small Musk is. He goes around bragging about how he’s using Ketamine as a party drug, but then gets butt hurt when someone asks him about it.
Stefano
Exactly how many children do you have? And we agree, children from a relationship with a woman…not adopted children. Make an effort for humanity ShaverX See how much fun it is to play the priest and give lessons! Lol
dbmcvey
“Musk’s replies” avoided the question and pretty much said Musk takes no responsibility for his actions.
ShaverC
Stefano, I don’t have any kids, I do not want kids, I do not agree with Musk in that regard. I was just stating that his motivation was not ambiguous, as this article implied.
gft77, Musk doesn’t play the PR game, again, it doesn’t seem like Musk fired Lemon over the questions, it’s Lemon’s tone and intent.
dbmcvey
If Musk supported his own children I might care what he says.
dbmcvey
Yeah, Lemon is a reporter and Musk didn’t want to be reported on. Why did he do the interview in the first place? Because he thought he had bought Don Lemon. The questions weren’t even “gotcha” questions.
Jim
Musk really isn’t that smart.
But P.T. Barnum was right, people like to be hoodwinked.
ShaverC
Jim, You sure do.
dbmcvey
Once again, Shaver replies, “I know you are but what am I?”
dbmcvey
Fired for “tone and intent”, that’s a free speech champion for yout!
abfab
ShaverC with kids…not a pretty sight.
dbmcvey
What Musk really meant is that white gays should reproduce.
Mack
@m I agree 100% he’s a troll.
abfab
shaverC is the face of the Q Troll.
gft77
If only everyone was super rich and could have lots of kids by random people and then forget about them like the billionaire…
abfab
And then get a reality show.
dbmcvey
God, he’s a weirdo. But then, so is Shaver.
abfab
ShaverC is a republican troll. A plant. So yeah………….a weirdo.
monty clift
Abfab the troll is whining about trolls again…..
dbmcvey
Musk is another one of these “free speech champions” like Dave Rubin and Bill Maher who think “free speech” means he should be able to say and do what he wants and no one should be able to criticize him. It’s all b.s.
FreddieW
Bill Maher is way smarter than you are.
abfab
I Bill Maher a PENCE lover too? Yawn city.
Mister P
There are over 8 billion people on earth now. Gay people are god’s way of limiting the population.
We should be encouraging birth control around the world. People who cannot feed themselves should not be breeding and having more mouths to feed.
When is the last time Mush took his kids to swimming lessons or helped with their homework? He should practice birth control.
abfab
And that car he invented. Awful.
Chrisk
He didn’t invent the car in any way. He just bought a big slice of the company.
abfab
I’m no expert on this other POS, thank god, but you got my drift.
Mack
I said Gays were God’s way of birth control over 50 years ago and it’s still true today.
abfab
If only imbama’s parents were Gay.
ZzBomb
The hilarity of a man telling people to have kids when all his kids literally hate his guts.
dbmcvey
Exactly this! It’s not like he’s Father of the Year.
abfab
Like trump, elon gives off a very unattractive vibe. The Ugly Americans.
MAGA! MAKE AMERICA GROSS AGAIN
My2CentsWorth
They have reasons to hate him. I assume that his wife also hates him for good reasons.
whosurdaddy
I don’t know any of the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of the spawn he’s accumulated but just the thought of that hairless pink whale crawling on top of me makes me throw up a little.
It would take a LOT of money to endure what would likely be a 2 minute trip to completion.
abfab
Maybe she useds tests tubes. He, like his POS president are outrageously creepy. Spawn! LOL
Josh in OR
I wonder how much the population drop has to do with things like ‘the planet is on fire, why would I bring kids into a world on the brink of catastrophe, because a few greedy men want to squeeze every last drop of money out of the earth at any cost?’, or ‘no one can afford the cost of living alone, much less the costs that come with raising a child in a nation that only cares about ‘children’ until they’re born’, or ‘women no longer have to settle for, or stay with, shitty men’?
I know that the ‘male loneliness epidemic’ is a direct result of women choosing to disengage from shitty men. How do I know this? Look at the personalities of the men who whine about their ‘loneliness’. They are abhorrent, toxic, misogynistic people no one in their right minds would WANT to be friends with/have sex with/raise children with.
Want populations to rise? Making abortion illegal and erasing queer folx won’t do it. Not being awful? Not making the act of ‘being alive’ and exhausting, exorbitantly over-costed venture with a rapidly approaching expiration date?
That might help people see a point in having kids again.
bachy
I’ve noticed that many heterosexual men from wealthy families feel duty-bound to reproduce. It’s built into their beliefs about inheritance, about legacy. A failure to reproduce is often considered worse than being homosexual.
I personally feel that gays contribute to the furtherance of the human race not through reproduction, but by encouraging same-sex bonding, which supports the growth of civilization and a coherent, creative vision of the future.
abfab
How then would a monty clift type into that equation.
monty clift
All of this because his ex-girlfriend dated that ugly cross-dresser, lol.
dbmcvey
Are you talking about Johnny Depp?
inbama
I’ll explain it to you.
European nations have taken in enormous amounts of Islamic refugees. In Sweden, they account for 10% of the population.
While the birth rate for native Europeans drops below replacement levels, the refugees have enormous families. Sweden stands to be a Muslim-majority nation in less than a handful of generations.
As many of their clerics are rabidly anti-woman and anti-gay, this does not bode well for liberal civilization in Europe. There already has been an uptick in violent crime against gays from this population – including two beheadings. Even those of you who only get your news from LGBTQIA+ media know that the first city to ban the pride flag from public buildings was Muslim-dominated Dearborn, Michigan.
Despise Musk all you like – I certainly dislike wading through and blocking all the right wing trolls on X – but that’s the price to pay for a platform with actual free speech.
It’s a hard price, but if you’re only getting your information from mainstream media, you are living in a news blackout, and being denied information relative to your own health and safety.
bachy
Agreed. Gay-specific media only results in a very limited and distorted view of the world. We may be part of the gay population, but we are also – and more importantly – a part of the larger, human population.
Ignore that at your peril.
dbmcvey
So, what Musk means is that white, Christian gays should reproduce.
abfab
Imbama consumes his information from multiple sources yet his health seems obviously in decline. How does that work….explain that to us @imbama
ps Visit Sweden. At least then you will become a somewhat credible source of current events. Or are you so concerned about your safety.
inbama
@abfab
I’ll go to Sweden, if you’ll go to Iran, troll.
Meanwhile, anyone interested in actual numbers can find them here:
pewresearch. DOT org/religion/2017/11/29/europes-growing-muslim-population/
abfab
Iran. What a stupid suggestion. Laughable!
American corporations, with millions of Americans in tow, have been migrating around the world for many, many years. Exploiting entire populations. Depleting and forever damaging soils and ground water. Dumping oil and toxic chemicals into the environment. Planting mono crops, cheating natives while stealing the land. And then they leave. They go somewhere else again and commit the same crimes. Yet it’s the Muslims that keep you up at night. You’re a chicken.
Everyone should read the things @inbama writes. The limited mind of the empty headed, under educated American. His bigoted takes on the world at large are common.
Mister P
Musk and twatter are not the free speech champions he likes to think he is. Firing Don Lemon easily proves that.
inbama
Don Lemon is still posting on Twitter – even advertising his interview with Musk that can be seen on youtube.
I’ve been in Facebook jail for “inciting violence” when a MAGA troll turned me in for saying that Trump should be facing a firing squad for his crimes. No such thing happens on twitter. If you cross a line, a bot will appear and alert you to the transgression so you can rephrase your post. Although Musk is definitely an oligarch with WAY too much power, he has pretty much kept his word on speech. We should be way more concerned about struggling nations like Ukraine relying on his Starlink network than his handling of Twitter.
FreddieW
I think he’s having enough kids by enough women to make up for the rest of us.
Sounds like he thinks of himself as a guru, but I don’t really think he is. I lost respect for him sometime in the last 2 years.
abfab
It’s okay, you still have your PENCE.
FreddieW
I tend to think more highly of Pence every time he speaks.
I tend to think less of Musk every time he speaks. The autism excuse wore thin several years ago.
And you have yet to post anything to improve my opinion of you.
abfab
A person who thinks highly about PENCE. A Gay person who thinks highly about PENCE. Wow, why would one care about your opinions.
FreddieW
Yes, I’m glad that blows your small mind. Nobody will ever be surprised at anything you think, abfab, because each of your opinions is stereotypically liberal and “gay”.
Celtic
Musk: “I only ask of my gay friends that they have children for the continuance of civilization.”
What the F**K? OMG, is he really that naive or stupid? Civilization is at risk because gays do not procreate??? Half the world is at war. Millions of children are starving. Yet, being queer threatens the survival of civilization. Got it. Just one more entitled super rich s.o.b. extolling the virtues of being hetero or “pretend” hetero. Sometimes it is best to keep one’s thoughts to oneself.
abfab
Word.