Women in the White Supremacist Movement

Abstract

A small but growing body of literature highlights the roles of women in White supremacist movements in the United States. This chapter reviews the diverse findings of this work by showing when, why, and how women participate in White supremacist movements. It begins by analyzing the interlocking ideologies of race and gender that shape women’s participation. Most White supremacist movements glorify stereotypical gender norms for both men and women, and place strict boundaries on white women’s sexual partners as an essential part of guaranteeing White power and status, though a few groups promote less strictly subordinate roles for White women. The chapter also focuses on the various paths by which women are recruited to White supremacism, largely through social networks and racist messaging. Finally, it discusses how internal and external factors in White supremacist movements influence the various roles that women play.