What is Incelism?

Viewed by some as a facilitator to right-wing extremism.

• Incel stands for “Involuntary Celibate”. An incel is usually a young man, who is a member of an online community, who consider themselves incapable of attracting women in a sexual manner.
• The views of incels are built upon extremely misogynistic foundations. They believe that “femoids” (women) deprive incel men of the sexual encounters or relationships, which is their human right.
• The group tends to reside in chatrooms that occupy the far corners of the internet and although such narratives are largely kept out of mainstream society, many believe the discourse is dangerous.
• Incelism is considered by some a form of right-wing extremism. In recent years, such views have surfaced as tangible actions within the society and in many cases innocent people have been hurt.
• The incel narrative creates and facilitates feelings of frustration, isolation and sometimes aggression in the young men engaging with it. It is a crisis that must be dealt with on a structural level.
• Feminist writer Laura Bates explains, “we are talking about an individual radicalised online in an extremist belief system who then acted on those beliefs to massacre people. This is terrorism.”