Ticket and event management companies make millions and sometimes billions of dollars every year thanks to the fees they charge consumers.
And although these companies host countless events that range from major league sports games to concerts, they can also control who they host and support.
Now one popular ticket company just canceled Riley Gaines events while continuing to allow pro-Hamas events to happen, and when this Governor took action, the company’s founder started hurling expletives.
Eventbrite founder is angry at VA Governor Glenn Youngkin
Aside from Ticketmaster, Eventbrite is one of the largest and most profitable ticketing and event management companies in the country.
However, the company notified the popular conservative athlete Riley Gaines that her event advocating against transgender people participating in women’s sports would not be allowed on their website.
According to Eventbrite, Gaines’ event violated its community guidelines, yet several other events hosted on the site were also potentially breaking the same rules.
The decision drew the ire of many conservatives, including Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, who told his office and political committee to stop using Eventbrite to advertise their events.
Gaines took to X to discuss the incident, posting a communication she received from the company that said her event, ”Protecting Women’s Sports with Riley Gaines” would be removed from the website.
The notification said that it violated Eventbrite’s “community guidelines and terms of service.”
Eventbrite claims that it does not allow content or events “through on- or off-platform activity” that would “discriminate against, harass, disparage, threaten, incite violence against, or otherwise target individuals or groups based on their actual or perceived race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, immigration status, gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran status, age, or disability.”
The notification continued, “As a result, your event has been unpublished.”
Gaines called for a boycott of the company over the incident and said, “I love all the people in my comments saying they’ve deleted their Eventbrite account. Give ‘em the Bud Light treatment.”
The issue of allowing transgender athletes to participate in women’s sports has been a point of contention, particularly when it comes to fighting woke ideology, and Riley Gaines has been a strong advocate against it.
The hypocrisy of Eventbrite
Eventbrite has removed other events from its site in the past, including one sponsored by the Independent Women’s Network, which encourages “civility and common sense,” while having “informed, open, and civil” debates.
The company banned the event page hosted by the IWN Austin chapter, insinuating that the organization violated the same rules that Gaines did.
But when Glenn Youngkin directed his office to stop using the platform, he alleged that Eventbrite permitted “pro-Hamas” events while going after women’s events for supposed rule violations.
Youngkin said, “Hamas is a terrorist group that invaded Israel and conducted barbaric attacks on women and children, there’s no place to sit on a fence here. Yet, Eventbrite allowed pro-Hamas events while proactively terminating an event for Riley Gaines.”
Another event that Eventbrite hosted was called “Stop the Genocide! Free Palestine!” which called any force used by Israel “settler-colonial violence.”
Eventbrite co-founder and Chairman Kevin Hartz posted his opinion about the comments made by Youngkin to X, saying that accusing the company of being Pro-Hamas is “egregious and moronic. How could you make an unsubstantiated slander that I support these genocidal maniacs?”
He added, “Please go f*** yourself!” along with a disclaimer that his statement represented his personal views and not those of Eventbrite.
Informed American will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
