The Proud Boys publicly deny supporting white supremacy, but the group has tolerated racism among its ranks and associated with overtly racist figures, said Amy Cooter, a Vanderbilt University senior lecturer who studies nationalism, race and ethnicity.įounded in 2016 by Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, the group has since been involved in violent confrontations, and their presence during social unrest often devolves into fights and violence.Īn ongoing lawsuit filed by McInnes says the law center's characterizations of him as a "'hate' figure" are "defamatory, false and misleading" as well as "purposefully deceitful." Megan Squire, a professor of computer science at Elon University in North Carolina who studies online extremism, said the comment led the group's organizers to feel "validated." "Proud Boys, stand back and stand by," Trump said. When Trump asked for a specific group, Democratic nominee Joe Biden named the Proud Boys. Many have been posting the photos using the hashtag #ProudBoys and often sharing how long they have been with their partner.ĭebate moderator Chris Wallace asked Trump last Tuesday whether he would condemn white supremacists and militia groups and urge them to stand down and avoid contributing to the violence. "What if gay guys took pictures of themselves making out with each other or doing very gay things, then tagged themselves with #ProudBoys," "Star Trek" actor George Takei, who is gay, tweeted Thursday. But on social media, many men in the LGBTQ community began sharing photos of themselves and their partners to counter the group's rhetoric.
Less than a week after the far-right group the Proud Boys were mentioned at the presidential debate, the group's name is being taken over on Twitter by gay men.ĭuring the debate last Tuesday, President Donald Trump did not condemn the "western chauvinist" men's group that the Southern Poverty Law Center says is a hate group. Watch Video: #ProudBoys: Gay men takeover after Trump mentions the far-right group