‘Proud Boys’ founder Gavin McInnes: ‘Punch a Nazi’ should be a hate crime

According to Gavin McInnes, if you assault someone and call them a “Nazi” in the process, you should be charged with a hate crime.

His logic goes something like this: The word “Nazi” is an epithet just like the word “f*ggot.” So if you assault someone and call them a Nazi in the process, that’s just like assaulting someone you think is gay and calling them the F-word — which according to some would constitute a hate crime.

“How is ‘Nazi’ not as bad as ‘f*ggot?” McInnes said while speaking to his producer Ryan Katsu Rivera. “Like, say you beat up a guy and you were screaming ‘Nazi’ as you beat him up. Couldn’t you argue that’s a hate crime?”

“Because if you beat up a gay guy and you say [f*ggot], it’s seen as homophobic because he’s not that word,” he continued. “He’s a homosexual, he’s not an ‘F-word,’ so it’s derogatory. So if you’re getting beat up and someone says ‘Nazi’ — you’re obviously not a Nazi — then they’re using a derogatory word and they’re using ideology to beat you up, to justify it, so it sounds like the same thing to me.”

“‘Punch a Nazi’ should be a hate crime,” he concluded.

Late last month, McInnes announced that he was disassociating himself with the far-right group “Proud Boys” that he founded, saying that he was doing so to help members who are facing assault and riot charges in New York City.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the group regularly disseminates white nationalist memes and maintains “affiliations with known extremists.”

They are known for anti-Muslim and misogynistic rhetoric. Proud Boys have appeared alongside other hate groups at extremist gatherings like the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville. Indeed, former Proud Boys member Jason Kessler helped to organize the event, which brought together Klansmen, antisemites, Southern racists, and militias. Kessler was only “expelled” from the group after the violence and near-universal condemnation of the Charlottesville rally-goers.

[Right Wing Watch]

Featured image via screen grab/YouTube

Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.