SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Reddit banned a men's right community dedicated to men who are unsuccessful in romantic relationships, citing the violent content that was frequently posted on the message board. (Photo: @SpaceCoastWebs/Twitter)
Citing Violent Content, Reddit Bans Misogynist Men's Rights Community
Subreddit was treated by members as a support group, but posts frequently advocated violence against women and sexual assault
Nov 09, 2017
A Reddit community known for containing misogynist content that sometimes advocated sexual assault and violence against women has been shut down, after Reddit announced it was prohibiting content that incites violence.
The "Incels" subreddit was treated as a support group for men who call themselves "involuntarily celibate." The community's 40,000 members wrote posts about their lack of success in intimate relationships with women, but the discourse was far from an innocuous exchange of questions and advice.
The group's very existence stemmed from the notion that women owe men sexual relationships, and many posts focused on this idea; a recent post was entitled "Sex should be a human right." Others condoned rape, and recent posts have had titles including "Why women are the embodiment of evil" and "List of female rights that should be removed," a post that included the line "Their right to bodily integrity should be relinquished" as women are "the property of men."'
Members of the group referred to Elliot Rodger, the gunman who killed six people near the University of Santa Barbara in 2014, as a "hero" and a "saint." Before the massacre Rodger had written a 140-page manifesto and other documents that amounted to a call to arms against women; he referred to the incel community in his writings.
Reddit's new terms of service specify that content that "encourages, glorifies, incites or calls for violence or physical harm against an individual or group of people" will not be permitted on the site.
"As of November 7, r/Incels has been banned for violating this policy," said Reddit in a statement on Wednesday.
The Incels subreddit is the latest Reddit community to be shut down as the site has tightened restrictions on violent content and harassment. The groups r/Altright and r/Alternativeright were banned earlier this year for publishing individuals' personal information without permission.
In an interview with the New York Times about the shut-down of the "Incel" community, Heidi Beirich of the Southern Poverty Law Center, noted the overlap between alt right websites and the corners of the web frequented by misogynists. "Whether it is on this particular ecoystem or alternatively within the alt-right itself, [misogynist content] is part of the online world that has been growing very rapidly. Misogyny is shockingly frequent to find on the web in these areas."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
A Reddit community known for containing misogynist content that sometimes advocated sexual assault and violence against women has been shut down, after Reddit announced it was prohibiting content that incites violence.
The "Incels" subreddit was treated as a support group for men who call themselves "involuntarily celibate." The community's 40,000 members wrote posts about their lack of success in intimate relationships with women, but the discourse was far from an innocuous exchange of questions and advice.
The group's very existence stemmed from the notion that women owe men sexual relationships, and many posts focused on this idea; a recent post was entitled "Sex should be a human right." Others condoned rape, and recent posts have had titles including "Why women are the embodiment of evil" and "List of female rights that should be removed," a post that included the line "Their right to bodily integrity should be relinquished" as women are "the property of men."'
Members of the group referred to Elliot Rodger, the gunman who killed six people near the University of Santa Barbara in 2014, as a "hero" and a "saint." Before the massacre Rodger had written a 140-page manifesto and other documents that amounted to a call to arms against women; he referred to the incel community in his writings.
Reddit's new terms of service specify that content that "encourages, glorifies, incites or calls for violence or physical harm against an individual or group of people" will not be permitted on the site.
"As of November 7, r/Incels has been banned for violating this policy," said Reddit in a statement on Wednesday.
The Incels subreddit is the latest Reddit community to be shut down as the site has tightened restrictions on violent content and harassment. The groups r/Altright and r/Alternativeright were banned earlier this year for publishing individuals' personal information without permission.
In an interview with the New York Times about the shut-down of the "Incel" community, Heidi Beirich of the Southern Poverty Law Center, noted the overlap between alt right websites and the corners of the web frequented by misogynists. "Whether it is on this particular ecoystem or alternatively within the alt-right itself, [misogynist content] is part of the online world that has been growing very rapidly. Misogyny is shockingly frequent to find on the web in these areas."
A Reddit community known for containing misogynist content that sometimes advocated sexual assault and violence against women has been shut down, after Reddit announced it was prohibiting content that incites violence.
The "Incels" subreddit was treated as a support group for men who call themselves "involuntarily celibate." The community's 40,000 members wrote posts about their lack of success in intimate relationships with women, but the discourse was far from an innocuous exchange of questions and advice.
The group's very existence stemmed from the notion that women owe men sexual relationships, and many posts focused on this idea; a recent post was entitled "Sex should be a human right." Others condoned rape, and recent posts have had titles including "Why women are the embodiment of evil" and "List of female rights that should be removed," a post that included the line "Their right to bodily integrity should be relinquished" as women are "the property of men."'
Members of the group referred to Elliot Rodger, the gunman who killed six people near the University of Santa Barbara in 2014, as a "hero" and a "saint." Before the massacre Rodger had written a 140-page manifesto and other documents that amounted to a call to arms against women; he referred to the incel community in his writings.
Reddit's new terms of service specify that content that "encourages, glorifies, incites or calls for violence or physical harm against an individual or group of people" will not be permitted on the site.
"As of November 7, r/Incels has been banned for violating this policy," said Reddit in a statement on Wednesday.
The Incels subreddit is the latest Reddit community to be shut down as the site has tightened restrictions on violent content and harassment. The groups r/Altright and r/Alternativeright were banned earlier this year for publishing individuals' personal information without permission.
In an interview with the New York Times about the shut-down of the "Incel" community, Heidi Beirich of the Southern Poverty Law Center, noted the overlap between alt right websites and the corners of the web frequented by misogynists. "Whether it is on this particular ecoystem or alternatively within the alt-right itself, [misogynist content] is part of the online world that has been growing very rapidly. Misogyny is shockingly frequent to find on the web in these areas."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy