Sometimes I read books that totally piss me off. Not necessarily because they are horribly written; many times they are very well-written. I read books that piss me off because I yearn to understand people whose mindset is beyond retched. These people are equal opportunity bigots. They hate people of color, Jews, Muslims, recent immigrants, the gay community and transgendered people. Many of them are quite misogynist even though they may be women themselves. Seyward Darby examines these women in her book Sisters in Hate: American Women on the Front Lines of White Nationalism.
Many men are at the helm of white nationalism, whether it’s the KKK, American Neo-Nazis, and any other hate groups throughout the United States. Men men like Nick Fuentes, Gavin McInnes, and Richard Spencer are currently the faces of white nationalism. Though many women in this movement sit on the sidelines and support the men, many women are become fully entrenched in white nationalism, and have made a name for themselves via their blogs, radio programs, articles and books, podcasts, and their social media.
In Sisters in Hate, Darby interviewed three women over several years, Corinna Olsen, Ayla Stewart, and Lana Lokteff. All of these women were born in 1979. And they all came to white nationalism in various ways, much of it having to do with 9/11.
Darby first profiles Corinna Olsen. Corinna life has been all over the place. She has worked as an embalmer and in violent porn. She was really into body building and even took steroids. Everything she did she did full gusto. That includes white nationalism. She got fully entrenched while living in the Pacific Northwest. Doing a radio show, which was hugely popular among racists and neo-Nazis. For her to get entrenched in this lifestyle, all she did was do some research on Google to hone her beliefs without using any critical thinking skills it takes to weed out the the dreck that shows up on the Internet. Interesting enough, Corrina left white nationalism and is now a devout Muslim.
Looks can be deceiving. Ayla Stewart has a cute dimpled face and wears dresses and head scarves. Her social media feeds show her doing domestic tasks with a sweet smile and her six children in the background. But don’t be fooled. Ayla is very proud to be a white nationalist, leaving an early life when she considered herself a feminist. Ayla promotes a traditional lifestyle, but it goes way beyond being a content SAHM. Ayla promotes strict gender rules and is intent on outbreeding people of color and non-Christians with her “White Baby Challenge,” encouraging white people to have many children.
Lana Lokteff’s parents escaped Communist Russia, and Lana was born in the United States. She married Henrik Palmgren who is at the helm of the white nationalist media company Red Ice where Lana hosts a radio show called “Radio 3 Fourteen.” She used to speak about the paranormal and conspiracy theories, but soon shifted to promoting white nationalism and the alt-right. She used to have a YouTube channel until she was banned several years ago. She has denied the Holocaust and Native American Genocide. And she admits her presence as a woman has gotten more women involved with white nationalism.
Though I was thrilled Corrina got out, and I wish her well, I was completely sickened by Ayla and Lana. Their all-consuming hatred of anyone different made me so angry. And sadly, Ayla and Lana are not alone. Women in white nationalism can be find all over America. And the internet has only increased their visibility, especially considering so many of them have a long reach though various media.
But visibility is one way we can confront these women and their vicious personal views and combat them. Reading Sister’s in Hate is just one way good people can face the feminine face of white nationalism, and save the United States before it’s to late. When you know better, you do better.
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