On Friday, The New Republic published an offensive, homophobic attack on Democratic candidate Pete Buttigieg. The article was swiftly condemned for being inappropriate, and it was taken down from the site Saturday. In light of these events, The New Republic is withdrawing its participation from our recently announced 2020 Democratic presidential forum on climate change, a decision that Gizmodo supports. This incident was entirely inconsistent with our values as journalists and with the inclusive atmosphere we intend to foster at the event.
The forum itself will go on, for all of the reasons outlined in our initial announcement. Climate change is simply too important to be ignored or sidelined in the 2020 presidential race. The voters deserve to know where all of the Democratic candidates stand on this issue, and how exactly they would address the climate crisis if elected. We still believe our focused forum is the best way to give climate change—an issue that intersects so many others, from health care to immigration to inequality—the nuanced attention it deserves.
The initial reaction to our announcement of the forum was widespread and almost entirely positive, reaffirming our belief that the American public is hungry for an in-depth climate change discussion. We are currently seeking additional media partners who share our values to help foster a robust dialogue.
In reaction to The New Republic article, the League of Conservation Voters, NRDC Action Fund, Earthjustice Action, and the Center for American Progress Action Fund have decided to remove themselves from the event. We will provide additional updates as the situation unfolds.
This article has been updated to reflect that Earthjustice and the Center for American Progress Action Fund action are no longer involved with the climate forum.
