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Publisher Simon & Schuster said Monday its planned publication of a book by Milo Yiannopoulous was canceled after his comments on underage sex resurfaced over the weekend.
In a January 2016 interview, Yiannopoulous said sexual relationships between teenagers and adults could be consensual and beneficial. Critics — including CNN's Jake Tapper — said the statements amounted to defending pedophilia and child abuse. In one clip, Yiannopoulous said he was not talking about sex with children, but rather someone at least 13 who was “sexually mature” and had gone through puberty. He also joked that the priest who sexually abused him did him a favor by making him better at giving head.
The clips resurfaced on Sunday in advance of this week's CPAC, or Conservative Political Action Conference. Yiannopoulous had originally been invited to speak, but his invitation was revoked after the clips were posted on Twitter.
“After careful consideration @simonschuster and its @threshold_books have cancelled publication of Dangerous by Milo Yiannopoulos,” Simon & Schuster spokesman Adam Rothberg tweeted on Monday.
In a Facebook post (Yiannopoulous was banned from Twitter after encouraging harassment of comedian Leslie Jones), he said the clips were the result of deceptive editing and did not reflect his views.
“I do not advocate for illegal behavior. I explicitly say on the tapes that I think the current age of consent is 'about right,'” he wrote. “I do not believe sex with 13-year-olds is okay. When I mentioned the number 13, I was talking about the age I lost my own virginity.”
After the announcement his book was canceled, he added, “I've gone through worse. This will not defeat me.”
Yiannopolous' book, titled Dangerous as a nod to his “Dangerous Faggot” college speaking tour, had been scheduled to come out in June. The news of the upcoming publication, for which he received a $250,000 deal, sparked outrage and criticism.
In his speaking tour, Yiannopolous was often protested by campus groups who decried his message as anti-women, anti-immigrant, anti-trans, and generally hate speech. A protest in Berkeley drew national headlines when members of the crowd started fires and smashed windows. Meanwhile, Yiannopolous's supporters said he should be praised for going against what they described as an out-of-control culture of political correctness.
In the immediate aftermath of the book announcement, Simon & Schuster defended the project as “incisive criticism” on political correctness and free speech. The company also sent a letter to its authors that the book would not include hate speech.
Still, the publisher drew criticism for giving him a platform. Bad Feminist writer Roxane Gay canceled her plans to publish an upcoming book with Simon & Schuster.
LINK: CNN’s Jake Tapper Slammed Milo Yiannopoulos For “Defending” Pedophilia
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