Michael Knowles, a far-right Daily Wire commentator, has sparked significant controversy with his latest assertions about the influence of pornography on sexual orientation and gender identity.
In an interview with Arden Young of the conservative outlet Sound Investigations posted on X, formerly Twitter, Knowles discussed a number of undercover videos that Young claimed suggested that major pornography companies like Aylo (previously known as MindGeek and parent company of Pornhub) are purportedly attempting to turn their audiences gay and trans.
The interview featured claims based on a video clip of Dillon Rice, a senior content specialist at Aylo. Rice was recorded saying, “Let’s say you’re 12 years old, you’re still figuring out sexuality, maybe even your gender. Wouldn’t it be helpful to see, not a celebration, but just maybe a normalization of something that you think is what you want? Probably helps a lot,” though the context in which he made those assertions is unclear since the video was edited and shot without Rice’s permission.
Knowles feigned shock and outrage over the clip.
“Two major discoveries here. One, they know that kids are looking at their content. They’re totally fine with it,” he said, claiming that the video is evidence of a greater conspiracy.
“Yeah, we are trying to convert straight guys into looking at gay porn or trans porn,” he said of content providers.
Young’s video, according to her, was prompted by the 2020 New York Times article “The Children of Pornhub,” aimed to expose ongoing issues within the pornography industry, especially regarding the exploitation of minors.
Knowles, known for his conservative commentary, has a history of making statements that many consider transphobic. His previous comments, including ones made at the Conservative Political Action Conference in March, where he called for the “eradication” of transgenderism, have been widely criticized for their hateful rhetoric and dangerous misinformation about transgender people.
Knowles’s stance often reflects a broader trend within certain conservative circles, where there is resistance to acknowledging the legitimacy and rights of transgender individuals. His latest claims about pornography align with this pattern and reflect an ongoing right-wing agenda to undermine and delegitimize the LGBTQ+ community.
Sexual orientation and gender identity are innate aspects of a person’s identity. Decades of scientific research and psychological understanding have led to a consensus among experts that these traits are not choices or preferences that external influences, such as media or pornography, can alter. The assertion that someone can be “converted” from straight to gay or transgender by exposure to certain types of content is not only scientifically unfounded but also contributes to harmful stereotypes and misconceptions about the LGBTQ+ community.
Furthermore, the idea of ‘converting’ sexual orientation or gender identity is a myth that numerous psychological and medical associations have debunked. The American Psychological Association, for instance, has long asserted that efforts to change a person’s sexual orientation (including conversion therapy) are not only ineffective but also pose significant risks to an individual’s mental and physical well-being.
These efforts are based on the false premise that being gay, bisexual, or transgender is a disorder that needs to be cured, a notion that has been rejected by established medical consensus.
Harvard Law School Cyberlaw instructor Alejandra Caraballo commented on Knowles’ ridiculous assertions online.
“I’m sure his entire pornhub search history is just the word ‘traps,’” she wrote on X, adding, “He’s the biggest closet case I’ve ever seen.”
In the interview on Knowles's show, Young clarified the context of Rice’s use of the word “convert” when discussing Aylo’s business strategies. Young emphasized that Rice’s reference to “convert” was in a marketing sense, suggesting an attempt by the company to expand its audience by introducing a variety of content, including LGBTQ+ themes, to attract a broader viewer base. This approach is a common practice in marketing, where companies aim to tap into new or underrepresented markets to enhance viewership and profitability.
However, Knowles interpreted and presented the statement in a significantly different light. Knowles extrapolated Rice’s words to suggest that Aylo intended to fundamentally alter the sexual orientation and gender identity of its viewers, framing it as a deliberate and nefarious strategy to ‘convert’ straight individuals into being gay or transgender. This misrepresentation by Knowles plays into broader, unfounded fears and misunderstandings about the LGBTQ+ community and how individuals come to understand and express their sexual orientation and gender identity.
Knowles’s narrative plays into dangerous and debunked theories that have long been used to justify discrimination and stigma against the LGBTQ+ community. By promoting the unfounded idea that exposure to certain types of content can change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, such claims inadvertently support the rationale behind harmful practices like conversion therapy. This not only perpetuates misinformation but also undermines the struggles faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in asserting their rights and dignity in society.
The Advocate reached out to Aylo for comment.
Knowles’ transformation from an actor who once portrayed LGBTQ+ characters to a hardline conservative voice that demonizes queer people, especially his intense criticism of transgender rights, reveals a dramatic and somewhat sensational shift in his public image. Back in his Yale days, well before he became a prominent figure at the Daily Wire, Knowles immersed himself in a role that now seems at odds with his public stance — he played a bisexual character in the 2012 student film House of Shades. In the film, Knowles is shown shirtless next to another man in a post-sex scene, during which Knowles’s character acknowledges, “That was, wow!”
