Neo Nazi Imagery in Anti Trans Networks
(Warning- this article contains antisemitic/extreme images)
I've been reading Matthew Williams amazing book, The Science of Hate this week. It has focused my writing on the way the anti-trans — “gender critical” movement has used fascistic tropes to attack and intimidate me, and other trans women online.
What started with JK Rowling and her “genuine concerns” then to her laughing along to abusive images of trans women which exist to invite, at best derision and at worst a sadistic hatred aimed at particular individuals simply for being visibly trans in the media or even just have the bravery to celebrate themselves online.
Social media, particularly X (formerly Twitter) has opened a flood gate of abuse since its takeover by Elon Musk. Musk is attracted to the darker side of internet cultures and has fans from the 4chan and Kiwi Farms incel/manosphere. These internet cultures revel in demonising and dehumanising people for self-gratifying reasons fuelled by bragging rights for who can get the most clicks, likes, shares and reposts.
These misogynistic cliques have expanded into mainstreamed social media in recent months and have been amplified and boosted by some very well known people. Their network is circular and they all boost each others accounts, giving the impression of an organic collective, but in reality it is top down from the most influential and the others feed off the attention.
You have to be very strong to be trans on line these days . A lot of us have normalised abuse as “par for the course” just to get through the news feed. There is a kind of Silent Hill parallel universe online that most people will not experience in daily life in the UK (yet). The gamification of hate is something which needs examining. Point scoring seems to outweigh factual information due to the corruption of our media and government institutions by lobbyists and think-tanks.
Some of the images are extreme and fit a clear history in fascism. Many symbols used by the Nazis have further been appropriated by neo-Nazi groups. The anti-trans/neo-Nazi crossover is clear.
Here some recent examples of transphobic images I have been sent personally. These come with a warning and do not wish to share them any further than my own media page. This is just a small selection of what l have collected, some l would not want to make public.
Below is Elon Musk communicating with Austrian, Neo-Nazi figure, Martin Sellner. Musk clearly does not moderate Neo Nazi content and not only that, actively engages with it.
ITV’s documentary film investigation Undercover — The New British Far-Right claimed the existence of undercover footage of Sellner discussing contacts between Generation Identity and white supremacist groups in the United States, but stated that these contacts must be hidden due to public relations. The documentary claimed that Sellner stated that Jews were a problem in the 1920s and made references to the “Jewish question”.
This week JK Rowling has been found to be engaging in Holocaust revisionism / denial while liking and reposting the writing of anti-trans extremist Malcolm Clark. The comments related to denial of the burning of books and research by The Institut für Sexualwissenschaft.
We know Rowling’s views on trans people have never been “genuine concerns” and some of us have been warning the media for some time about this insidious narrative. Unfortunately there are still very few news outlets willing to take this on as a story because of the access she has to lawyers and then ability to use her privilege to avoid accountability.
I could not say for sure if JK Rowling is a “fascist”, but she clearly has Neo Nazi friends/followers who cheerlead for her at any given opportunity. Here is a post in praise of Rowling by Varg Vikernes, spotted by eagle eyed Extreme Metal fan, Katy Montgomerie just last week.
In August 1993, Vikernes fatally stabbed Mayhem guitarist Euronymous during an altercation at the latter’s apartment, and was arrested shortly after. In May 1994, Vikernes was convicted of first-degree murder, church arson and possession of explosives. When asked about his father, Vikernes states that he was hysterical that his son “had a swastika flag at home”
The UK anti-trans movement has tried to branch out into youth culture recently and tries to portray itself as rebellious and anti establishment by the use of counter culture marketing and advertising. Here is gender critical extremist, Julie Burchill promoting the work of Louis Distras in a publication established my Paul Marshal, one of the millionaire backers of GBnews. Distras’ political allegiances are clear, but these either go ignored, are tolerated or we an only assume are supported.
The incremental steps from Burchill to Distras to far-right poster boy, Tommy Robinson show clearly to which political factions the anti trans movement aligns. There are no feminists in the “gender critical” movement. It is a purely misogynistic matrix of hate speech and disinformation, weaponised by propagandists including Bindel on platforms funded by political hedge fund managers.
The actions of both Rowling and Musk have enabled and emboldened a level of abuse which should never be tolerated online. This will only get worse if the continual influx of abusive users and the severe lack of moderation is allowed to persist.
In recent months the UK Government has been discussing the Online Safety Act and met with Esther Ghey, mother of trans teenager, Brianna who was brutally murder just 15 miles from where I sit now, in February 2022. There have been discussions about the use of smart phones and what access young people should be allowed. This completely ignores the systemic problem of online abuse and would potentially harm children who need to find help in private networks.
The European Parliament warned already in October 2018 about the increasing normalisation of fascism, racism and xenophobia and asked EU member states to ban neo-fascist and neo-Nazi groups. MEPs reiterated their call to ban organisations that glorify Nazism and fascism or any other form of totalitarianism in September 2019.
Paula Griffin
We need to stand up to this obviously encroaching normalisation of extreme content. People tell tend to tell me this is all online nonsense and it is best ignored. While there will be trolls, media players and people who believe they have become radicalised by anti trans rhetoric there is a very real thread of complacence.
As we know from history, ignorance is the sleeping eye under which real fascism can rise.
Freda Wallace.
Additonal Evidence of incremental hate and intollerance.
This is an update — 05–06–24
