The Scoop

Airbnb Bans Conservative Author Michelle Malkin, Labels Her A ‘White Supremacist’

By • February 8, 2022 5:12 pm

 

Asian American Michelle Malkin has been banned from using Airbnb, according to the business, which announced the suspension last week. The right-wing political influencer will be unable to make reservations on the platform.

Malkin said on Twitter that both herself and her husband were banned from the platform. The company claimed they removed Malkin’s account since she participated in the 2021 American Renaissance Conference.

In an email sent to Malkin from Airbnb, the company said, “It has come to our attention that you were a keynote speaker for the 2021 American Renaissance Conference earlier this month in Tennessee. Airbnb’s community policies prohibit people who are members of or actively associate with known hate groups. Due to your promotion and participation in a known white nationalist and white supremacist conference, we have determined that we will remove your account from Airbnb. This is consistent with action we’ve taken to ban people associated with this conference in past years.”

Airbnb spokesman Ben Breit told the Daily Beast this: “Consistent with our policies, if we become aware of users who are members of or are actively affiliated with hate groups, we remove them from Airbnb.”

While Airbnb claims Malkin espouses white supremacist views, she is an Asian American of Filipino descent.

In an op-ed, Malkin alleged the Anti-Defamation League and Southern Poverty Law Center are behind her Airbnb ban.

“In November, I spoke at a peaceful conference held by an organization that is deemed a ‘hate group’ by the Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League,” Malkin wrote. “A week after my talk, San Francisco-based Airbnb notified me that I was banned from using its services ever again and imperiously deleted my account. Poof!”

The SPLC and ADL, two far-Left groups recently labeled the American Renaissance group a white supremacist outlet. These organizations often receive criticism for labeling right-wing organizations as radical without insufficient reason to.

Malkin claimed that Airbnb’s actions against her are part of an “ideological witch hunt” against “anyone deemed an ‘extremist,'” and that she has been a target of such “hunts” by the SPLC and the ADL since 2002, when she published her first book, “Invasion.”

“But this latest salvo crosses the line,” Malkin added. “It’s not enough that I — a ‘woman of color’ (the left’s own descriptive label, not mine) and mother of two multiracial children — was pronounced guilty of ‘hate’ crimes and ‘promotion’ of ‘white supremacist’ ideas for delivering a speech whose full content Airbnb didn’t even bother to obtain from me. The Airbnb bullies also banned my equally nonviolent, nonhateful husband — who did not attend the conference and who is not a public figure or activist.”

According to the email Malkin posted, her husband’s account was also banned. The email reads, “[a]s we can see that your Airbnb travels are typically reserved via your husband’s account, we will also proceed in removing his account.”

“Neither of us had ever had a negative review, complaint or policy violation of any kind. Are my kids next? Are yours?” Malkin claimed. “Take note: You’re damned right I spoke peacefully and lawfully to the peaceful and lawful 2021 American Renaissance Conference and was honored to receive a warm welcome.”

“I resoundingly reject the notion that condemning Black Lives Matter and antifa terrorists constitutes ‘hate.’ I defy the Airbnb thought police who consider my husband and me ‘untrustworthy’ and ‘dangerous’ threats to community safety on par with convicted felons and sex traffickers,” she continued. “God willing, and with my readers’ and viewers’ help, I will fight these speech-stifling bigots who think they can get away with retaliating against me and my family for my journalism and activism.”

 

Paul Aubert


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