Ru-Paul's new online bookstore "Allstora", promising to carry all "banned books", just admitted they're banning conservative books

[Dan Druff]

Have you heard about the book bannings in the US?

If you listen to the left, there are tons of banned books by fascists everywhere. If you want to read LGBT content in some jurisdictions, you absolutely cannot find it, as those books are banned.

Except that's not true. No books are banned in the US. Not one of the 50 states has any book bans in place. Instead, the so-called "book bans" involve keeping pornographic and/or left wing propaganda books out of school libraries. This is nothing new. Could you check out Hustler Magazine from your middle school library growing up? Obviously not. It is not "book banning" to keep certain types of content away from children.

However, all books are available in all 50 states. No matter where you live, you can order whichever book you want, and if you are a shit parent, you can give those inappropriate books to your children.

That hasn't stopped the left from whining about "banned books", and claiming that there's an attempt by the right to censor LGBT content.

In response, Ru-Paul started an online bookstore called "Allstora", which proudly claimed they would not ban any books. He was trying to capitalize on the leftist book banning fears, and becoming the one-stop shop for any pornographic book you heard you can't get in school libraries.

Okay, whatever. If Ru-Paul wants to carry all books, regardless of content, more power to him.

And originally, Allstora took a fair and reasonable position regarding their refusal to ban any kind of book:

We cannot fight the ideologies of hate if we lack the ability to study, understand, and react to them. We do that by reading books. Censorship of any book, perspective, or story is incompatible with the survival of democracy. Banning books is never the answer.

Of course, the left freaked out. The bookstore faced backlash for selling “homophobic,” “transphobic,” “anti-woke,” and “Nazi” material.

Allstora panicked, remove their anti-ban statement above from their website, and immediately removed books by Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Matt Walsh, Riley Gaines, and Libs of TikTok founder Chaya Raichik.

Now they're apologizing:

We’ve already removed the titles that visitors have called to our attention, and you can continue to report any instances of hateful material on our site. While other online bookstores will continue selling hate-filled books, Allstora will not. We will be a community, a home, for all.

Here's an article about it: https://www.nationalreview.com/news/...-filled-books/


Allstora, of course, can carry whichever books they please. But it's hilarious that a bookstore literally founded to fight the perception of book bans, ended up banning books anyway. The store's heart was originally in the right place -- correctly pointing out that "banning books is never the answer". But they were shamed into censorship. Extreme left wing ideology can only survive by creating an echo chamber where dissent is not allowed. Healthy criticism or skepticism is labeled as "hateful", and removed. You're not allowed to read it. You're not allowed to see it. You're not allowed to think about it.

Believe what they tell you to believe, or else.

[sonatine]

lol mad

[Dan Druff]

By the way, while some leftists will try to claim that guys like Matt Walsh are simply right wing trolls who make money mocking trans people, it is especially indefensible to ban a book by Riley Gaines.

Riley Gaines came to prominence by being a vocal opponent to biological males in women's sports, after she lost a swimming match to biological male "Lia Thomas".

While it's true that Gaines has since become a conservative influencer, her book was about the unfairness of biological males in women's sports. Even if you don't agree with Gaines, her book was not "hateful" or "transphobic". It's the point of view from an actual female athlete who worked her ass off, only to lose to a biological male who was swimming in the men's division a year prior.

The fact that the left doesn't want you to read a book by Riley Gaines speaks volumes.

They want all dissent silenced. It's bad enough that they've browbeaten women's sports into allowing biological men to crush women in these contests. Now they're trying to shut down any discussion otherwise. If they had their way, you wouldn't even be able to hear from the women who were affected by this policy.

You're supposed to sit down, shut up, and not question this new reality.

[Sloppy Joe]

Lol cucked by a tranny.

You don't even read books, faggot.

[BCR]

Book banning is about libraries.

It’s not like Christian bookstores sell the Satanic Bible.

It was idiotic for Rupaul to think he could start a private business and sell that shit and have any customers. It’s not like you or I or most people were going to buy books from fucking Rupaul. The entire potential customer base was clearly going to be people buying from Rupaul as a political statement.

The only idiotic thing was selling O’Reilly’s 30 shitty books and other assorted right wing trash in the first place and thinking it would be viable. You weren’t going to buy a book from that store even if it was the same as any other store with better shipping. You wouldn’t support it nor would any conservative buyer. So if you’re going to start a business, you’re going to need to cater to the side that is 100% of your customer base.

[Dan Druff]

Book banning is about libraries.

It’s not like Christian bookstores sell the Satanic Bible.

It was idiotic for Rupaul to think he could start a private business and sell that shit and have any customers. It’s not like you or I or most people were going to buy books from fucking Rupaul. The entire potential customer base was clearly going to be people buying from Rupaul as a political statement.

The only idiotic thing was selling O’Reilly’s 30 shitty books and other assorted right wing trash in the first place and thinking it would be viable. You weren’t going to buy a book from that store even if it was the same as any other store with better shipping. You wouldn’t support it nor would any conservative buyer. So if you’re going to start a business, you’re going to need to cater to the side that is 100% of your customer base.

The problem was it was promoted as an anti-banning store. That was the gimmick.

It's surprising that Ru-Paul, who otherwise seems media savvy, didn't understand that his customer base would be almost entirely from the left, as you said.

It should have been sold as a progressive or LGBT bookstore, and then I'd have no issue. I don't expect progressive bookstores to carry right wing books, much like I wouldn't expect a right wing bookstore to carry progressive books.

But this speaks volumes about how the left feels about censorship. It infuriated them that a bookstore existed with an anti-censorship and anti-banning ideology. They had to shame it into changing policy. It wasn't supposed to be a progressive bookstore, but it became one because Ru-Paul's fanbase rattled them into it.

[BCR]

Book banning is about libraries.

It’s not like Christian bookstores sell the Satanic Bible.

It was idiotic for Rupaul to think he could start a private business and sell that shit and have any customers. It’s not like you or I or most people were going to buy books from fucking Rupaul. The entire potential customer base was clearly going to be people buying from Rupaul as a political statement.

The only idiotic thing was selling O’Reilly’s 30 shitty books and other assorted right wing trash in the first place and thinking it would be viable. You weren’t going to buy a book from that store even if it was the same as any other store with better shipping. You wouldn’t support it nor would any conservative buyer. So if you’re going to start a business, you’re going to need to cater to the side that is 100% of your customer base.

The problem was it was promoted as an anti-banning store. That was the gimmick.

It's surprising that Ru-Paul, who otherwise seems media savvy, didn't understand that his customer base would be almost entirely from the left, as you said.

It should have been sold as a progressive or LGBT bookstore, and then I'd have no issue. I don't expect progressive bookstores to carry right wing books, much like I wouldn't expect a right wing bookstore to carry progressive books.

But this speaks volumes about how the left feels about censorship. It infuriated them that a bookstore existed with an anti-censorship and anti-banning ideology. They had to shame it into changing policy. It wasn't supposed to be a progressive bookstore, but it became one because Ru-Paul's fanbase rattled them into it.

The gimmick was stupid. It clearly didn’t take long to figure it out.

What is the use in selling right wing trash when exactly zero conservatives are going to buy there anyway?

It’s not like a single conservative is going to say, “ I admire RuPaul for selling my favorite edition of Mein Kampf and will be a customer!”

Open your store and sell your tranny books to adults was the only play.

[sonatine]

druff whats the last book you read?

[Texter]

I’m relatively conservative, have no issues with Rupaul and am reading the Michael Lewis book about SBF, “Going Infinite”


I would buy books from Rupauls site if they cost less than Amazon but that would be the only reason to…literally for anyone.

[Dan Druff]

I’m relatively conservative, have no issues with Rupaul and am reading the Michael Lewis book about SBF, “Going Infinite”


I would buy books from Rupauls site if they cost less than Amazon but that would be the only reason to…literally for anyone.

Same here.

In fact, I actually would enjoy supporting a "no censorship" bookstore. I do not believe in censoring left wing material. Extreme gender propaganda or pro-DEI material should be available for purchase if people want to read it. Unlike the left, I am not afraid of the opposition viewpoint being read and discussed.

I would never say, "RuPaul is running a bookstore aimed mostly at LGBT people and wokes, so I'm not supporting it." Instead I would say, "Great to see a bookstore carrying all kinds of books, and ignoring ideology."

[BCR]

No one is going to beat Amazon. Even so, I’m not shopping at some place when I google it says Shop Queer. I don’t want my mailman thinking I’m some tranny or gay. It’s some old dude I bullshit with whenever I catch him. I’m not going to be “hey Joe, you got my RuPaul purchase” in some giant pink box while I try to explain it’s really not some gay shit.

If I do a digital download and have some issue where I have to call credit card, I’m not going to be calling about the queer store. I’ll start getting targeted ads for gay shit the minute I order. Just not happening.

Let’s get real here. No one not gay or trans is buying there unless for a political statement.


Honestly, I had never heard of the place. Now I see some version of Druffs post online a few different times yesterday. All from conservatives.

That’s probably the purpose if RuPaul is as savvy as Druff says. Outrage marketing. I assume the gay community was already aware of the store. Now some in the closet Sunday school teacher just found out he can buy his gay shit online from RuPaul because of social media outrage.

It’s sad, but hardly anyone even reads anymore anyway. Try to find a popular fiction writer under 50. It’s all the same guys as twenty years ago. Non-fiction is usually just 5 get rich books, whatever the in biography is atm, and some collection of horrible Dinesh D’Souza or culture war books.

When I want something to read, half the time I end up rereading some classic because there isn’t shit interesting.

And there is no way RuPaul is going to beat them on Elon Musks book. I’m guessing for him its almost entirely super woke and queer oriented niche material.

I’ve been familiar with Rupaul for like 30 years and still couldn’t tell you what he is? He was a cross dresser. Is he a she now? I know all drag queens don’t think they’re women.

And no Riley Gaines book isn’t important. She’s an irrelevant swimmer who was never among the best. She doesn’t like trans in her sport. I completely agree with her. That’s 3 pages worth of material.

What’s the rest of the book? 300 pages of stories about coming in 4th in the Sec swim championships and campaigning for Herschel Walker?