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.”
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.
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.— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 21, 2024
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."
Children need mother and father— Is this your elephant (@canwedealwithit) March 21, 2024
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.
![[PHOTOS] Meet the gorgeous men of Melbourne](https://lgbtprime.com/uploads/images/202410/image_430x256_67183c8fbd6ad.jpg)
(@alx) March 21, 2024
