Lauren Southern facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lauren Southern
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Southern in 2016
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Lauren Cherie Southern
16 June 1995 Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
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| Occupation | Political activist |
| Political party | Libertarian |
| Children | 1 |
| YouTube information | |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Subscribers | 711k |
| Total views | 50 million |
| Subscriber and view counts updated as of August 31, 2024. | |
Lauren Cherie Southern (born 16 June 1995) is a Canadian YouTuber and political activist. She is known for sharing her views on various topics online. In 2015, she ran as a candidate for the Libertarian Party of Canada in a Canadian federal election. She finished last in her area with 535 votes.
Southern worked for a media company called Rebel Media until March 2017. After that, she started working on her own. In May 2017, she supported a group called Defend Europe. This group tried to stop ships that were helping refugees in the Mediterranean Sea. Southern was briefly held by the Italian Coast Guard for blocking a ship. Because of this, some online platforms like Patreon and GoFundMe stopped her from using their services. YouTube also stopped her from earning money from her videos.
Southern has been described as having strong views on topics like immigration and culture. She has made videos and documentaries sharing her opinions. She announced she was leaving political activism in June 2019 but returned to YouTube in June 2020. As of 2021, she writes for Sky News Australia. She describes herself as a conservative.
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Early life and political start
Southern was born in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. She studied political science at the University of the Fraser Valley. She left the university after two years.
On 18 October 2015, Southern was a candidate in the 2015 Canadian federal election. She represented the Libertarian Party of Canada in the area of Langley–Aldergrove. She was briefly removed as a candidate by her party but was put back on the list. This happened with support from Breitbart News and The Rebel Media. She finished last in the election, getting 535 votes.
Activism and views
Southern has been described as having conservative and right-wing views. She prefers to be called a conservative. The Southern Poverty Law Center has described her videos as having strong opinions against certain groups.
Media work
Before she left university, The Rebel Media founder Ezra Levant met Southern. He was impressed by her questions at a conference. He asked her to try out for a job. She moved to Toronto to work for the website. Her first video, "Why I Am Not A Feminist," was released in April 2015. She often worked with Milo Yiannopoulos and Faith Goldy at Rebel Media.
In December 2016, Southern published a short book called Barbarians: How Baby Boomers, Immigrants, and Islam Screwed My Generation.
In March 2017, Southern announced she was leaving The Rebel Media. She also gained access to White House press briefings. She has appeared on Lana Lokteff's program Radio 3Fourteen.
On 2 June 2019, Southern announced she was stepping away from political activism. She said she needed to find fulfillment in a more private way.
On 19 June 2020, Southern announced her return to YouTube. She shared her new plans and expressed some regret for her past strong opinions.
Views on culture and society
Southern has spoken against multiculturalism. She has said that a multicultural society might not work unless many people believe in Western culture. She has also said that "multiculturalism will inevitably fail."
She promotes an idea that non-white immigration might lead to big changes in European populations. She released a YouTube video about this in July 2017. This video was seen by many people.
Southern has also discussed farm attacks in South Africa. She made a documentary called Farmlands in 2018. In this film, she suggested that these attacks could lead to a conflict. While making the documentary, Southern worked with Simon Roche. He is a spokesperson for an organization that predicts a conflict.
Opposition to aid groups and migration
In May 2017, Southern, along with Martin Sellner and Brittany Pettibone, tried to block a ship called the Aquarius. This ship was leaving Sicily to help refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean Sea. Southern said their goal was to stop an empty boat from picking up migrants. She was briefly held by the Italian Coast Guard. Southern stated, "if the politicians won't stop the boats, we'll stop the boats."
Southern supported similar actions by Defend Europe. This group rented a ship to track and stop what they believed was cooperation between aid organizations and human traffickers. In July 2017, Southern reported that Patreon had closed her account. They said it was because she was raising money for activities that could cause harm. Southern denied these claims.
In November 2018, Southern released a video that seemed to show an aid worker admitting to coaching asylum seekers. This was about how to talk to immigration officials to get refugee status. In May 2019, Southern released a YouTube documentary called Borderless. This film was about the refugee and migrant situation. YouTube temporarily took the film down.
Views on gender and feminism
Southern has expressed her views on gender. She has said that transgender people have a "genuine delusion." She also criticized legal recognition for changing one's gender.
Southern has spoken against feminism. She has said that women are "not psychologically developed to hold leadership positions." She also said they are "not going to be as great being CEOs." In a November 2017 YouTube video, Southern said that traditional ways of life offer stability. She also said that women should be able to choose their own path without being criticized.
Visits and travel restrictions
In March 2016, Southern visited Vancouver for an event. At this event, a protester poured a bottle of liquid over Southern's head. This happened while she was talking with protesters about gender.
In April 2017, Southern was a speaker at a rally in Berkeley, California. This rally led to a conflict between supporters and opponents of Donald Trump.
In June 2018, she visited Moscow, Russia. She met Aleksandr Dugin, a political philosopher. Southern and Brittany Pettibone interviewed Dugin. Southern tweeted that it was "incorrect to call him a fascist."
Some online platforms like GoFundMe and Patreon stopped Southern from using their services. YouTube also stopped her channel from earning money from advertisements by June 2017.
Denied entry to the United Kingdom
In February 2018, Southern, along with Brittany Pettibone and Caolan Robertson, handed out flyers in Luton, England. This was part of a video project.
In March 2018, Southern was not allowed to enter the United Kingdom. She was waiting in Calais. She was questioned under a law called the Terrorism Act 2000. Her entry was denied because of her plans for the visit.
2018 Australian tour
Southern planned a speaking tour of Australia in July 2018. Australia's Department of Home Affairs initially denied her a visa. They said it was "not a working visa." The Australian government allowed her to enter once she had the correct visa.
When she arrived at Brisbane airport, she wore a shirt with a certain phrase. A speaking event in Melbourne was met with opposition from over 100 protesters.
There were no protesters at her event in Sydney. People who bought tickets were told the location by text message on the day of the event. The Sydney event included different ticket options, including a meet-and-greet and a dinner.
In Brisbane, Southern made a comment about the Australian city of Melbourne. She was met by about 60 protesters.
2018 New Zealand tour
In July 2018, Southern applied for a visa to visit New Zealand. She planned a speaking tour with Canadian podcaster and YouTuber Stefan Molyneux. The Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway said their views were "repugnant." However, he said they met the requirements to enter the country.
The pair had trouble finding a place for their event. The Auckland Council cancelled their first booking. They said it was due to health and safety concerns. The pair briefly cancelled their tour but then restarted it. A private venue they booked also cancelled. People celebrated the failure to find a venue. They said the event was not about freedom of speech. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand is "hostile" to the speakers' views. She said she was proud that New Zealanders did not share those views.
In August 2018, the Mayor of Auckland, Phil Goff, tweeted that council venues should not be used to "stir up ethnic or religious tensions." He said they had "no obligation at all" to provide a venue for hate speech.
The Justice Minister Andrew Little said the speakers "clearly have misled people" when trying to get a venue.
Personal life
In June 2023, Southern moved back to Canada from Australia with her son.
See also
In Spanish: Lauren Southern para niños
