Milo Yiannopoulos, a Breitbart editor and defender of the alt-right, tested the limits of how far his provocations could go after the publication of a video in which he condones sexual relations with boys and laughs off the seriousness of his own relationship at age 17 with a Roman Catholic priest aged 29.
On Monday, the organizers of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) rescinded their invitation for him to speak this week.
Simon & Schuster said it was canceling publication of his book Dangerous after standing by him through weeks of criticism of the deal.
Breitbart itself was reportedly reconsidering his role amid calls online for it to sever ties with him.
The board of the American Conservative Union, which includes veterans of the conservative movement like Grover Norquist and Morton Blackwell, made the decision to revoke Yiannopoulos’ speaking slot and condemn his comments.
“We initially extended the invitation knowing that the free speech issue on college campuses is a battlefield where we need brave, conservative standard-bearers,” American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp said in a written statement.
Regarding Yiannopoulos’ comments, Schlapp called them “disturbing” and said Yiannopoulos’ explanation of them was insufficient.
Yiannopoulos is a marquee contributor to Breitbart News, where he serves as senior editor.
He has amassed a fan base for his stunts and often outrageous statements.
However, by Monday afternoon, his future at the Web site was being intensely debated by top management.
Until now, Yiannopoulos had emerged as something of a hero to many who saw in him an eager and willing combatant against a culture they believed was too politically correct.
He became a star at Breitbart and earned the admiration of Stephen Bannon, who was its publisher before becoming chief White House strategist for US President Donald Trump.
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