Lauren Southern: Difference between revisions

Lauren Southern
Southern in 2016
Born	(1995-06-16) 16 June 1995 (age 29)[1] Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Nationality	Canadian
Alma mater	University of the Fraser Valley (did not graduate)
Occupation(s)	Political activist, internet personality[2]
Political party	Libertarian
Website	laurensouthern.net

Lauren Southern
YouTube information
Subscribers	711,000 (March 2024)
Creator Awards 100,000 subscribers 2016

Lauren Cherie Southern (born 16 June^[3] 1995) is a Canadian political activist, internet personality, and journalist.^[4][5] She has been described as far-right^[a] and alt-right^[b], though rejected the alt-right label.^[6] In 2015, Southern ran as a Libertarian Party candidate in the Canadian federal election. She worked for The Rebel Media until March 2017. In addition, she has written for Spiked,^[7] the International Business Times, and The Libertarian Republic.^[8] Southern continues to work independently and publishes videos on YouTube.

In 2017, Southern supported the white identitarian group Defend Europe opposing the action of non-governmental organizations involved in search-and-rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea. She was detained by the Italian Coast Guard for blocking a ship embarking on a search-and-rescue mission.^[9] In March 2018, she was questioned under the UK Terrorism Act^[10] and denied entry to Britain, because of her intentions during her March visit.^[11] She said she was “permanently banned” from the UK,^[12] though it was later confirmed she was refused entry for specific purposes only, not banned.^[13]

In July 2018, she went on a speaking tour of Australia and called for the country to be bombed, quoting the Bible.^[14] Her event in Melbourne was opposed by more than 100 protestors^[15] and in Brisbane by around 60 protestors.^[16]

While preparing for a New Zealand speaking tour to take place in August 2018, Southern was banned from Auckland council venues. While finding her views “repugnant”, the Immigration Minister granted her a visa, saying she met character requirements and was never banned from the United Kingdom.^[17]

Southern was born in Surrey, British Columbia.^[18] She studied political science at the University of the Fraser Valley but completed only two years and did not receive a degree.^[19][20][21]

In 2015, Southern was a candidate in the 2015 Canadian federal election representing the Libertarian Party in the district of Langley—Aldergrove.^[20] She was briefly removed by the party as a candidate, but was eventually reinstated with support from Breitbart News and The Rebel Media.^[22] The election was eventually won by Conservative candidate Mark Warawa. Southern finished last, having received 535 votes, or 0.9% of the total.^[23]

In June 2015 while reporting on the Vancouver SlutWalk for Rebel Media, Southern's cameraman was shoved and Southern's protest sign stating "There Is No Rape Culture In The West" was torn up.^[24][25]

In March 2016, a protester in Vancouver poured a container of urine over Southern's head while she was engaging with LGBTQ protesters at a rally in Vancouver, arguing that there were "only two genders".^[26][27][28]

Southern was mistakenly suspended from Facebook, having criticized the site for banning several conservative commentators. She later received an email apology from Facebook saying the suspension was an "error".^[29][30]

In October 2016, Southern had her gender legally changed to male as part of a video produced for Rebel Media to show the ease of Ontario's new gender ID laws.^[31][32]

In 2016, Southern authored and self-published Barbarians: How Baby Boomers, Immigrants, and Islam Screwed My Generation.^{[33][non-primary source needed]}

In January 2017, Southern posted incorrect rumours from 4chan that the Quebec City mosque shooting had been carried out by Syrian refugees; she later deleted those tweets.^[34] In March 2017, Southern announced she would be leaving Rebel Media to become an independent journalist.^[35] In the same month, she gained access to White House press briefings.^[36][37]

In April 2017, Southern was one of several scheduled speakers at a Patriots' Day rally in Berkeley, California.^[38] The rally led to a riot between pro-Trump demonstrators and anti-Trump counter-protesters.^[39]

In May 2017, Southern took part in an attempt organized by the identitarian group Génération identitare to block the passage of an NGO ship, the Aquarius (co-owned by SOS Mediterranée and by Doctors without Borders), which was leaving Sicily to start a search-and-rescue mission for ship-wrecked migrants off the shores of Northern Africa. Claiming that the goal of the activists "was to stop an empty boat from going down to Libya and filling up with illegal migrants", Southern was briefly detained by the Italian Coast Guard. NGO ships often rescue migrants and refugees, who disembark from Libyan shores on unsafe makeshift rafts, and bring them to Sicily.^[40][41] With regard to her actions, Southern stated that "if the politicians won't stop the boats, we'll stop the boats."^[9]

Southern supported similar actions by identitarian group Defend Europe, which chartered a vessel in order to track and stop what it called collusion between NGOs and human traffickers. The group has been accused^{[by whom?]} of intending to obstruct the rescue of migrants and refugees in distress at sea. In July 2017, Southern revealed that Patreon had deleted her account out of concerns about her "raising funds in order to take part in activities that are likely to cause loss of life".^[42] Southern denied these allegations, stating that Defend Europe's actions were likely to save lives and that none of her funding went towards the group.^[43]

In February 2018, Southern, along with Brittany Pettibone and Caolan Robertson, distributed flyers in the English town of Luton that said, "Allah is a Gay God".^[10]

In March 2018, Southern, Pettibone, and Pettibone's boyfriend, Martin Sellner, were all denied entry to the United Kingdom.^[44] Southern was also questioned under the Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000.^[10] Her denial of entry was due to her intentions during her March visit^[11] and on the same grounds as Pettibone and Sellner.^[45]

She said she was “permanently banned” from the UK.^[12] However, it was later confirmed she was instead refused entry for specific purposes only, and reports of her being banned were false.^[13]

Shortly before a planned speaking tour of Australia in July 2018, Australia's Department of Home Affairs denied Lauren Southern an Electronic Travel Authority visa, saying it was “not a working visa”.^[46] She intended to charge $79 for a basic ticket and up to $749 for an “intimate dinner”.^[47] The Australian government allowed her to enter the country once she had the correct visa.^[48] Arriving at Brisbane airport, she was wearing an "It's OK to be white" shirt.^[49][50]

When she asked people on the street in Melbourne “Should we kill Lauren Southern?”, many had never heard of her.^[51] A speaking event in Melbourne was opposed by more than 100 protestors.^[15]

There were no protestors at her event in Sydney, where ticket holders were notified of the venue by receiving a text on the day.^[52] The Sydney event included a $200 meet-and-greet, a $500 VIP meet-and-greet and a $750 dinner.^[53]

In Brisbane, Lauren Southern supported bombing Melbourne, quoting the Bible.^[14] She was opposed by around 60 protesters.^[16]

In 2018, Southern and Canadian podcaster and YouTuber Stefan Molyneux had planned to speak in Auckland's North Shore in early August. However, the visit was cancelled after the Mayor of Auckland Phil Goff announced that the Auckland Council would not allow city premises to be used to "stir up ethnic or religious tensions". In response, Southern denied assertions that her views were "hate speech" and complained that New Zealand had been infected by the "bug of progessivism".^[54][55]

New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and National Party leader Simon Bridges said they would have supported her right to speak, while Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said she supported the ban.^[56][57] Human rights lawyer Craig Tuck criticized Mayor Goff's decision as a violation of free speech, while the cancellation of Southern and Molyneux's tour was welcomed by the Auckland Peace Action activist group and the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ).^[54] By contrast, The Spinoff contributor Ali Shakir said that while he disagreed with many of Southern's views, he thought she and Molyneux should be welcomed to New Zealand and said that barring them damaged the country's commitment to freedom of expression and raised "serious concerns about the process." Shakir also questioned FIANZ's claim to speak for all Muslims.^[58] A group called the Free Speech Coalition advocated for a judicial review of the cancellation and raised NZ$50,000 in less than 24 hours.^[59] The group's supporters included former Labour Party cabinet minister Michael Bassett, former National and ACT parties leader Don Brash, Property Institute chief executive Ashley Church, Auckland University of Technology historian Paul Moon, broadcaster Lindsay Perrigo, political commentator Chris Trotter, and New Zealand Taxpayers' Union director Jordan Williams.^[60]

On 20 July, Immigration New Zealand granted visas for Southern and Molyneux to visit New Zealand. While describing their views as “repugnant” and “counter to the kind and tolerant values of the vast majority of New Zealanders”, Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway cleared their entry on the grounds that the duo had met immigration character requirements including not having prior criminal convictions. He added that they were never banned from Australia or the United Kingdom as previously reported.^[17] Southern welcomed the news and tweeted that she hoped that she and Molyneux could be "unbarred" from their venue as well.^[61][62]

On 25 July, Southern and Molyneux cancelled their trip to New Zealand. The Free Speech Coalition said time had run out to find alternative arrangements for the pair, following the Auckland Council ban.^[63] On 26 July, Southern and Molyneux's promoter David Pellowe said that the duo would be speaking in Auckland after claiming that a new speaking venue had been found.^[64][65]

On 2 August, Southern and Molyneux arrived in Auckland for their speaking event on the following day.^[66] An email to attendees said the pair look forward to the day when “ideas right of Stalin are permitted equal rights to peaceful assembly”.^[67] The speaking tour was booked at Auckland's Powerstation theatre but was cancelled shortly after the venue was revealed on social media. Owner Peter Campbell rescinded the booking, citing disruption to neighbours.^[68] Co-owner Gabrielle Mullins added “They can say whatever they want but personally I don't want it in my venue.”^[67] Tāmaki Anti Fascist Action spokesperson Sina Brown-Davis said her group feared “dehumanising depictions of indigenous people” in New Zealand.^[69] Molyneux had called Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people “the lowest rung of civilisation”.^[70] Brown-Davis added “They've been quite clever framing this as a free speech issue, which they use as a smokescreen to introduce their politics of hate and division.”^[67] In response to the cancellation, Southern blamed a "violent and scary minority willing to make threats and commit violence" for shutting down free speech.^[71][72][73]

Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand is “hostile” to the views of the speakers and “I think you'll see from the reaction they've had from New Zealanders that their views are not those that are shared by this country, and I'm quite proud of that”.^[74] Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson added “Aotearoa does not stand for your messages of racism, hatred and especially white supremacy”.^[67]

Southern has been widely described as alt-right,^[b] far right^[a] and right-wing.^[c] She rejects the label "alt-right."^[6] The Southern Poverty Law Center has described Southern's videos as anti-feminist, xenophobic, Islamophobic, and borderline white nationalist.^[75]

Southern has spoken in opposition to feminism^[76] and has said that women are "not psychologically developed to hold leadership positions".^[77] In 2015 she attended SlutWalk and held a sign that read, "There is no rape culture in the West."^[78] She also said that it was "insane" to focus on the issue.^[79]

Southern has promoted the white genocide conspiracy theory.^{[80][81][82][83]} She has advocated for European countries to refuse refugees from Africa and Asia, saying that immigration would lead to white genocide.^[82] In 2018 Southern produced a documentary called Farmlands about post-Apartheid farm violence in South Africa.^[77] The tagline for the documentary's trailer, "Crisis. Oppression. Genocide?" reflected a broader white nationalist campaign against perceived racially motivated violence against white farmers.^[84]

Wikiquote has quotations related to Lauren Southern.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lauren Southern.

• Lauren Southern at IMDb
• laurensouthern.net
• "Farmlands", Southern's 2018 documentary about South African race-based land redistribution violence.