Swiping Right : the Allure of Hyper Masculinity and Cryptofascism for Men Who Join the Proud Boys

Abstract

This qualitative, interdisciplinary study explores the narratives of Proud Boys members. The Proud Boys are a right-wing extremist organization with chapters in America and Europe. Since the group’s inception in 2016, several members—including Jason Kessler, Austin Gillespie, and Kyle Chapman, Jovi Val, Tim Gionet, and Jason Lee Van Dyke—have joined or attempted to join more violent, more openly antisemitic right-wing movements. In the Pacific Northwest, Proud Boys have marched with Patriot Prayer—an extremist group created by former Proud Boy Joey Gibson. This and other evidence suggest the group functions as a radicalisation vector. Members deny this possibility, which leaves much to be explored. Asynchronous, semi-structured ethnographic interviews with Proud Boy members (n =17), were conducted in private online messaging systems. A Rogerian interviewing approach was used to diffuse hostility towards outsiders and facilitate dialogue. Self-categorization theory informed the interview question structure. Primary source data explored pull factors of becoming a member, shared precarity, the group’s ties between radical movements, and the core ideology behind Proud Boys’ libertarian ethos. Because little is known about the group, a grounded theory approach was used to explore themes surrounding joining.