Hatewatch has identified a previously pseudonymous author and ideologue whose writings in the 2000s and early 2010s heavily influenced the 鈥渕anosphere,鈥 a loose network of blogs, forums, websites and influencers who support rolling back women鈥檚 rights, reject feminism and advocate for rigid gender roles.
Between July 30 and Aug. 10, Jaimee Michell, the founder and current president of the anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Gays Against Groomers, posted a series of comments on X, formerly Twitter, equating Islam with pedophilia, characterizing Muslim faith as 鈥渁 cancer on this world鈥 and sharing content from an account that claims Europe is being invaded by immigrants and Muslims.
Anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion groups have joined forces with Georgia鈥檚 largest association of Baptist churches to sway Gov. Brian Kemp in support of a far-right policy agenda that rolls back the rights of transgender children, according to emails obtained through a public records request.
After Minneapolis police murdered George Floyd in late May 2020, the U.S. and the world were on the precipice of a cultural reckoning on racial injustice, marked by mass protests that swept the world. The day after the murder, as video of the violence hit the news and tensions were about to ignite, Bedford County, Virginia, passed a resolution in support of 鈥渢he militia.鈥 A similar resolution had passed in Campbell County, Virginia, earlier that year.
Now, more than ever, we must work together to protect the values that ensure a fair and inclusive future for all.