In recent times, our news cycles have been flooded with reports of mass shootings and hate crimes. The heartbreak of witnessing two mass shootings within the same week, alongside the alarming escalation of hate crimes against Asian Americans, is truly overwhelming. A significant number of these incidents are fueled by male supremacy, hostility toward women—and feminism specifically—highlighting a troubling upward trend in such crimes.
This issue is not new. A report by the F.B.I. in November 2020 indicated that hate crimes in the U.S. reached their highest levels in over a decade. Advocacy groups argue that these figures are likely underreported. The Southern Poverty Law Center estimates that approximately 204,600 individuals fall victim to hate crimes annually in America.
Many of these hate crime offenders are young men who often subscribe to male supremacist ideologies. Statista.com has tracked that since 1982, there have been 119 mass shootings in the U.S., with an astonishing 116 committed by male shooters. In 2018, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) began monitoring male supremacy as one of the ideologies they track.
Understanding Hate Crimes
The F.B.I. defines a hate crime as a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.” Essentially, to classify as a hate crime, there must be a criminal act paired with a motive rooted in bias against the victim’s protected characteristics. Hate crime laws aim to safeguard victims based on these actual or perceived attributes.
Punishments for hate crimes are typically more severe, but the specific legal requirements can make them challenging to prosecute. Although federal hate crime laws exist and are in place in 47 states, discrepancies among state laws exist; for instance, not all states encompass protections for gender, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Arkansas, South Carolina, and Wyoming notably lack hate crime statutes.
Defining Male Supremacy
Male supremacy is an ideology grounded in misogynistic beliefs, advocating a return to traditional gender hierarchies. It propagates the idea that men are inherently superior to women and are entitled to sexual access to them. This ideology is often fueled by fear and resentment regarding the perceived decline of white male status.
The Southern Poverty Law Center identifies various factions within the male supremacist movement, including:
- Men’s rights activists, who claim that men’s rights are being undermined by women.
- Red Pillers, who assert a feminist conspiracy controls society.
- Pick-up artists (PUA), who aim to seduce women while belittling them.
- Involuntary celibates (incels), who, frustrated by their lack of sexual success, often resort to violent rhetoric.
- Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOW), who advocate for male separation from women.
Horrific Crimes Motivated by Male Supremacy
Sadly, ideologies of male supremacy have been used to rationalize extreme violence. Notable instances include:
- A man who targeted a sorority house, resulting in six deaths and multiple injuries. In his manifesto, he expressed intentions to destroy those who rejected him.
- Another individual who killed ten people, primarily women, in Canada, clearly identifying himself as an incel and expressing admiration for previous mass killers.
- A shooting in a yoga studio resulted in three deaths and several injuries, with the shooter also identifying as an incel and showing support for previous violent acts.
These individuals are not isolated cases; they are often radicalized through online communities that promote extreme misogyny and violence against women.
Data Collection Challenges
Despite the issues surrounding gender-motivated hate crimes— which account for only about 1% of recorded hate crimes according to the F.B.I.— experts warn of a rise in what they term “male supremacy terrorism.” The SPLC notes that the F.B.I.’s data likely underrepresents the severity of the issue due to multiple factors, such as law enforcement’s inconsistent reporting practices and the reluctance of victims to come forward.
Addressing violence rooted in extreme misogyny must be an urgent priority, as the problem is likely to escalate.
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In summary, the rise in hate crimes associated with male supremacy is a significant concern that warrants immediate attention. With many offenders radicalized online, it is crucial to address the underlying ideologies that fuel such violence and promote a culture of respect and equality.