The Babylon Bee is not giving in after Twitter took action against the Christian satire site for naming U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel Levine “Man of the Year.”
“I just received this notice that we’ve been locked out of our account for ‘hateful conduct,’” Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon shared on the Big Tech platform.
The Bee’s story titled, “The Babylon Bee’s Man Of The Year Is Rachel Levine” was cited for violating Twitter’s “rules against hateful conduct.”
I just received this notice that we’ve been locked out of our account for “hateful conduct.” pic.twitter.com/udMriKcDr6
— Seth Dillon (@SethDillon) March 20, 2022
Levine was named the Bee’s “first annual Man of the Year,” according to the satirical article.
“Levine is the U.S. assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he serves proudly as the first man in that position to dress like a western cultural stereotype of a woman. He is also an admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. What a boss!”
“Rachel’s original name is Richard Levine, but he changed it to Rachel for some strange reason a few years ago,” the post jokingly continues. “Who cares? Who says a dude as accomplished as this can’t be named “Rachel?” This king doesn’t care what people think about him! He often wears a dress, which some people think is weird—but he doesn’t care one bit. Come on! Men in India wear dress-type garments, don’t they?”
The satire was published two days after USA Today named Levine as one of its “Women of the Year.”
National radio host Todd Starnes called out the publication’s move as “not only a mockery of God’s Word — it’s also a perversion.”
The Bee added an update: “Since announcing this award, we’ve been told that Levine actually identifies as a woman. We have still chosen to give the award as his self-identification has no bearing on the truth. Congratulations, Rachel Levine!”
A Twitter spokesperson said the account will be locked until the owner deletes the tweet.
“We’re not deleting anything,” Dillon tweeted. “Truth is not hate speech. If the cost of telling the truth is the loss of our Twitter account, then so be it.”
We’re not deleting anything. Truth is not hate speech. If the cost of telling the truth is the loss of our Twitter account, then so be it.
— Seth Dillon (@SethDillon) March 20, 2022
Dillon listed a few ways people “can help.
“Never censor yourself,” he wrote. “Insist that 2 and 2 make 4 even if Twitter tries to compel you to say otherwise. Make them ban tens of millions of us.”
Starnes summed it up in less than 140 characters:
“Twitter: How dare you call a man a man, man,” Starnes wrote.
Twitter: How dare you call a man a man, man.
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) March 21, 2022
Caleb Parke is the managing editor for ToddStarnes.com. Follow him on GETTR, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and connect with him at calebparke.com.