FACT CHECK: Posts Claiming Elon Musk Banned Pride Content From X Are Based On Satire
Posts shared to Facebook claim that billionaire Elon Musk has banned all Pride content from X.
Verdict: False
Claims that Musk has banned Pride content from X are based on satirical sources.
Fact Check:
Social media users are claiming that Musk has banned all pride content from X. One Nov. 20 post states, “UNBELIEVABLE: X Announces Permanent Ban on Pride Content—’We Must Protect Children!’ Well done Elon Musk.”
Similar posts appeared on both X and Instagram in the past week, making the same claim but presenting a rainbow within Mickey Mouse hands, suggesting the alleged ban is related to Disney. Each post includes different photos of Musk alongside a picture of a rainbow flag or banner and a heart shape, either drawn or formed with Mickey Mouse hands.
However, this claim is false. There is no evidence that Musk is planning to ban pride content on X, related or unrelated to Disney, as noted by PolitiFact.
The origin of the claim is satire. The account that originally shared the claim is self-described as a satire and parody page. The original post, dated Nov. 17, is captioned, “Pride Content Blocked On X Permanently, ‘Protecting Kids Comes First’ – SATIRE.”
SpaceX FanClub later linked to an article from Esspots in the comments, which publishes “satirical news and commentary about the United States of America,” per its website. The Nov. 18 article sarcastically quotes Musk as defending a made-up policy on restrict Pride content on X as being motivated by “protecting young minds.” (RELATED: FACT CHECK: Did Taylor Swift Say Elon Musk Was ‘Radicalized By His Own Algorithm’?)
Below the article’s headline, the word “satire” is written twice. Additionally, there is a note at the bottom of the webpage that reads, “This is SATIRE. It’s Not True.”
This false claim also comes after Check Your Fact debunked a claim that Musk had banned DreamWorks from X, allegedly citing its “woke” content,” which was also based on satire.
