Milo Yiannoupoulos has roiled the internet and college campuses across the country with his inflammatory remarks about Muslims, women, and people of color. Just this summer at DePaul University, according to ThinkProgress, he said: "I’ve worked out why there are so many Black girls here…cause I f***ed their brothers" and "I give it 20 minutes; the statistics of Black incarceration are about to go up." Student protestors quickly forced him off the stage, but not after his fans had chalked incendiary messages across campus.
SPLC On Campus clubs should be aware of his tour dates and organize protests to counter his hateful messages. Protests at campuses like DePaul have been successful at creating awareness of his hate-filled messages and creating conversations on campus about diversity and inclusion.
Trading on stereotypes and fear, Yiannoupoulos has provoked thousands of hateful messages on social media. He was a central figure in Gamergate, when prominent female journalists were subject to serial harassment online. Twitter recently permanently suspended his account for his role in the targeted racist and sexist harrassment against Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones.
Though we caution against efforts to shut down scheduled events, we do encourage SPLC on Campus clubs to take a stand against hate and bigotry by organizing peaceful protests and counter messaging actions. Please let us know if we can support your efforts.
-- Your SPLC on Campus Team