LGBTQ+ social media users around the world are trying to reclaim the 'Proud Boys' hashtag this week, in an attempt to silence members of the alt-right group.
Per BBC News, the Proud Boys are a far-right and anti-immigrant group.
And despite current Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio telling CNN (via a spokesperson) that the group has "longstanding regulations prohibiting racist, white supremacist or violent activity," social media posts with the '#ProudBoys' hashtag could often be found to contain bigoted opinions, imagery, slurs, or commentary.
As a result, the hashtag has been reclaimed!
The gay pride trend was kickstarted when former Star Trek cast member and notable gay rights activist George Takei took to his official Twitter account on October 1 to write:
"I wonder if the BTS and TikTok kids can help LGBTs with this. What if gay guys took pictures of themselves making out with each other or doing very gay things, then tagged themselves with #ProudBoys? I bet it would mess them up real bad."
Using the hashtag, the 83-year-old actor then shared a picture of himself alongside his husband Brad Takei with his 3.1 million followers, and captioned the snap:
"Brad and I are #ProudBoys, legally married for 12 years now. And we’re proud of all of the gay folks who have stepped up to reclaim our pride in this campaign. Our community and allies answered hate with love, and what could be better than that [sic]."
According to a recent post by the Anti-Defamation League:
"The Proud Boys represent an unconventional strain of American right-wing extremism. While the group can be described as violent, nationalistic, Islamophobic, transphobic, and misogynistic, its members represent a range of ethnic backgrounds, and its leaders vehemently protest any allegations of racism."
The ADL continues:
"After several years of forging alliances with members of the Republican political establishment, the Proud Boys have carved out a niche for themselves as both a right-wing fight club and a volunteer security force for the GOP.
"Despite their associations with mainstream politicians, Proud Boys’ actions and statements repeatedly land them in the company of white supremacists and right-wing extremists."
Per BBC News, in a debate with his rival presidential candidate Joe Biden, Donald Trump provoked controversy when he seemingly declined to condemn the group, stating:
"Proud Boys: stand back and stand by. But I’ll tell you what. I’ll tell you what. Somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left because this is not a rightwing problem."
However, in a later interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, President Trump appeared to change his stance on the issue. Trump stated:
"I've said it many times, let me be clear again, I condemn the KKK, I condemn all white supremacists, I condemn the Proud Boys. I don't know much about the Proud Boys, almost nothing, but I condemn that."
Trump also urged members of the group not to interfere with the actions of law enforcement.
