Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
When and why were the Proud Boys founded and who started the group?
Executive summary
The Proud Boys were founded in 2016 by Gavin McInnes, a co‑founder of VICE who announced the group in a Taki’s Magazine essay and described it as a “pro‑Western” men’s organization [1] [2]. Researchers and civil‑society monitors describe the group as far‑right, male‑only, and prone to street violence; governments and courts later tied members to major crimes including the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol breach [3] [4] [5].
1. Origins: a provocateur’s project turned street organization
Gavin McInnes launched the Proud Boys in 2016, announcing the group in an op‑ed on the far‑right site Taki’s Magazine and framing it as a “Western chauvinist” fraternity that rejected political correctness; multiple organizational histories point to New York and the 2016 U.S. presidential cycle as the moment of formation [2] [4] [6]. McInnes — known for co‑founding VICE and later moving into right‑wing commentary — presented the group initially as a provocative, men‑only social club, but reporting and academic work documents how it soon attracted activists who embraced confrontational tactics [7] [8].
2. Ideology and recruitment: “Western chauvinism” and a male‑only membership
The Proud Boys have consistently described themselves using the coded language of “Western chauvinism” and have limited membership to men; civil‑society groups and researchers interpret that rhetoric as overlapping with misogyny, anti‑immigrant sentiment, and elements of white nationalist thought — even when members deny formal ties to the alt‑right [9] [10] [11]. ADL, SPLC and academic analyses document how recruitment leaned on online platforms, manosphere networks, and real‑world events to attract men drawn to traditional gender norms and anti‑PC messaging [2] [4].
3. From barroom banter to violence: escalation and public incidents
Contemporaneous coverage and later studies trace a rapid shift from rhetoric to street confrontation: Proud Boys chapters and offshoots participated in violent clashes at rallies (including Charlottesville and New York incidents in 2017–2018) and developed hazing and rank rituals that sometimes encouraged physical fights — practices that researchers say hardened the group for violence [4] [12]. Monitoring organizations link dozens of ideologically motivated crimes to Proud Boys members and note the group’s prominent role in “Stop the Steal” events that culminated in the Capitol attack [6] [5].
4. Leadership evolution: founder vs. operational leaders
Although Gavin McInnes is the universally cited founder, he publicly disassociated from operational leadership in 2018; after that, figures such as Henry “Enrique” Tarrio rose to de facto national leadership and became focal points for prosecution related to January 6 [7] [13]. Reporting shows the founder remained an influential “thought leader” for some members even after stepping back, while chapters developed more decentralized, self‑governing structures across dozens of states [14] [15].
5. Legal and institutional responses: designations, prosecutions, and penalties
States and organizations responded in different ways: Canada designated the Proud Boys a terrorist entity; U.S. law enforcement and courts pursued prosecutions of members linked to the Capitol breach and other violent acts, resulting in convictions for seditious conspiracy and lengthy sentences for some leaders [8] [5]. Civil suits and other legal actions — for example around vandalism of a Black Lives Matter banner — also produced judgments against members and the organization [1] [2].
6. Competing narratives and how the group is described
Public portrayals diverge: the Proud Boys and McInnes have at times called the group a tongue‑in‑cheek “drinking club” or a defense of Western values, while watchdogs (ADL, SPLC), academic centers, and mainstream outlets characterize it as far‑right, neo‑fascist, or extremist with a record of violent tactics [16] [9] [3]. Contemporary reporting makes clear both that McInnes founded the group and that many outside observers see its rhetoric and actions as aligned with misogynistic and racist currents — a disagreement that drives differing policy and legal responses [2] [11].
7. Limitations and what reporting does not say
Available sources consistently identify 2016 and Gavin McInnes as the founding year and founder, and they explain motivations rooted in gender norms and “Western chauvinism” [1] [4]. Sources do not provide a single, detailed internal manifesto authored at founding beyond McInnes’s initial public writings; available sources do not mention any alternate credible origin story that contradicts McInnes’s founding role [2] [6].
Context note: the story of the Proud Boys is one of rapid institutional change — from an authored provocation to a decentralized street movement — and of continuing debate over labels and legal treatment; sources differ on tone and emphasis but converge on the key facts of founding in 2016 by Gavin McInnes and the group’s later involvement in violent political confrontations [1] [4] [5].