On November 9, 2022, the AAUW California Board of Directors voted to terminate its account with Twitter effective immediately. This proposal was brought forth by the Public Policy Committee and approved following thoughtful and careful discussion.
The decision was based on a number of actions taken by Elon Musk both before and since his takeover of this social media platform. Primarily, we are concerned that the incidence of hate speech, disinformation, discriminatory and misogynistic rhetoric, and the spread of dangerous and divisive theories will continue to rise under his stewardship.
According to a study by Montclair State University, within 24 hours of Mr. Musk’s acquisition, homophobic, antisemitic, and racial hate terms increased from just over 1,000 tweets to 4,778 tweets in a 12-hour period. In addition, Mr. Musk’s other business ventures, Tesla automobile company, and SpaceX, a space exploration company, have been plagued by claims of sexual harassment.
As an organization that supports equity for women and girls, values the advancement of fair and equitable opportunities for everyone in our diverse society, and opposes hate, violence and harassment against members of any demographic group, AAUW California can no longer be associated with this platform.
Sandi Gabe
President
AAUW California
Kathi Harper
State Director, Public Policy Committee Chair
AAUW California