of course they label it an “ideology” filing retards I’m glad their readership is declining
There's a wall of text from the court doc about this very 'question'
Is the Incel Culture an Ideology?
[34] This court has had the benefit of expertevidence relating to the culture, method, and beliefs of the incel community.The expert, T.E., a proposed Crown witness, was previously qualified as aspecialist witness in the incel culture:
R. v. O.S.,
2022 ONSC 4217.T.E.’s testimony and report clearly bear out the fact that incel culture is anideology and falls within the criteria set out in
s. 83.01 of the
Criminal Code. One ofthe key principles running through incel code of belief is their misogynisticattitude towards women which celebrates violence towards females.
[35] T.E. advised the court that:
• Incels are males who definethemselves by their inability to form sexual relationships based on their beliefs that they possess certain genetic qualities,female characteristics, and societal structures.
• They believe that genetic factors have impactedthem physically to make them born unattractive to women.
• Incels believe in hypergamy - a belief thatwomen are more sexually selective and seek out the most attractive men andreject less attractive men. One of their key beliefs is that societal changeled to an acceleration in hypergamy when women began to gain sexual andfinancial independence, leading to a diminishing of a woman’s reliance on ahusband for physical and financial security, and allowing them to choose moreattractive males. Incels believe that hypergamy means that 20 % of menmonopolised 80 % of the female population for sex.
• Incels follow a “pill” philosophy where theybelieve that the “blackpill” doctrine results in less attractive males neverbeing able to attract a sexual partner through normal societal methods.According to the “blackpill” belief system, a man’s attractiveness isdetermined at birth and controls their success in any sexual relationship. Aswomen are only attracted to men with particular features, no amount ofpersonality, financial, or physical fitness gains will lead to sexual success.Since they are denied what they feel is their entitlement, incels feeloppressed by a “female dominated society”, leading to their view that theirhatred of women is justified.
• Incels had a particular hatred for sex workerswhom they believe to be exploiting men’s ability to access sex and receiveremuneration for that male failing. According to incel belief, sex workers or“escortels” as they are known in the incel community, are exploiting a socialstructure that elevates women over men in importance. Their shared discussionsabout sex with “escortels” has led to an overriding belief that incels will becharged at higher rates and those incels who are of a cultural minority believethat they are treated more poorly or even refused on the basis of their race orminority status.
• Incels hold a widespread belief that they aretargeted as being portrayed in a negative fashion and that women who hold powerin a “gynocentric” society - one where women are empowered and men aresubjugated - leads to their oppression.
• Incels believe that violence is inevitable dueto the denial of sex to them by women. Not every incel advocates for violence,but such behaviour is accepted as legitimate, particularly when they perceivewomen to refuse to engage in sexual relationships with them. It is also clearthat violent attacks are celebrated within the incel community with aparticular respect for those murderers who have killed more women than men.
[36] T.E. also described the use of social media andthe internet by incel groups such as
incels.co,Facebook, Discord, and Twitter that resulted in the construction of onlinecommunities where incels can express their beliefs, hatred of women, anddisaffection with society.
[37] T.E. also identified a number of prominentincels who committed criminal acts that were harmful to women and the public ingeneral such as Alek Minassian and Elliot Rodger.
[38] T.E. explained that E.R., the initials of ElliotRodger, an incel who killed 6 people and injured several others before shootinghimself - was used as a phrase - “Go ER” - to encourage violence and attacks,as well as providing advice to online users discussing suicide.
[39] T.E. also explained that THOT - was an acronymfor that “That Ho Over There” and that Thot Slayer was commonly used in theincel community to describe an individual who would abuse or kill “thots” -women thought to be promiscuous. The term “incel rebellions” was anencouragement for incels to violently rise up against society and punish thoseengaged in sexual relationships.
[40] Mr. Mattis complains that T.E.’s evidence iscomprised of unsubstantiated broad statements not supported by the evidence. Heargues that much of T.E.’s evidence is based on assumption rather than fact. Headds that T.E.’s report does not demonstrate the kind of organisationalstructure required by the wording in s. 83.01 of the
Code. I havealready explained why I do not agree that “ideological” in s. 83.01 needs ahierarchical or organisational character.
[41] I cannot agree with the description advanced byMr Mattis. As referenced in para. 39 of the
O.S. judgment, I found thatT.E.’s evidence derived “from their lengthy experience in academic research andimmersion into the subject matter of incel ideology”. The relevant parts ofT.E.’s opinion was supported by their own experiences in examining incelcommunity forums and websites.
[42] On the basis of T.E.’s evidence, I conclude thatthe incel culture falls within the description of “ideological” in s. 83.01 ofthe
Code.
Was O.S.Motivated by Incel Ideology?
[43] When seeking to answer this question, themotivation behind O.S.’s actions is revealed in his police statement and thereport ordered pursuant to s. 34 of the
Youth and Criminal Justice Act (
YCJA)(“the s.34 report”).
[44] When questioned by police, O.S. told them thathe believed that “you don’t choose to become an incel, you are just born one”and explained incels apolitical status as “you could have some left wing viewsas an incel but most of them are right wing,
most of us are rightwing”[emphasis added]. Later on, he made clear that on his Steam profile - thewebsite used to purchase games - he was “going to do something crazy likethis”. O.S.’s Steam profile described him as a “Proud Incel” who hatesfeminists.
[45] When asked about comments made to theinstitutions’ social worker that if released he “would hurt more people again”,O.S. explained that these words signified that if he kept following his“beliefs, it could be a possibility that this could possibly happen again”.When pressed, O.S. commented that “where it becomes a problem though depends onwhat the belief is, how you act out on it”. When it was suggested to him thatthat his incel beliefs were wrong, O.S. replied that “that’s just the waysociety is nowadays, that’s especially in the year 2020, it’s normal that mybeliefs are wrong today”.
[46] When asked about the Alek Minassian van attackin Toronto two years earlier, O.S. said that Minassian was an “inspiration” andthat if he could do “something like that in Toronto” then it was possible forO.S. to do something similar. Similarly, when Elliott Roger was discussed, O.S.agreed that he felt a kinship towards him.
[47] O.S.’s alignment with incel ideology can also befound in the weapon used to effect the attack and murder on 24 February 2020.The sword that he used was inscribed with the words THOT, an acronym for “ThatHo Over There”, a term used by the incel movement to denigrate women. In his s.34 interview, O.S. explained that he wrote, “THOT SLAYER” on the sword,“probably a few days before ... at the time I thought it was another word forsaying ‘ho’”. He added that some incels “didn’t like prostitutes that’s why Idid it like that”. When asked to clarify his view of sex workers, he indicatedthat he “didn’t really like them ... or hate them ... some incels sayprostitutes are taking advantage of their bodies and gaining money as a resultof it; some say ‘who cares if you have to pay for sex’;
me at the time, Iwas kind of both [emphasis added] ... now I support (sex workers) ... Idon’t know if it makes me sound like a dirty person”.
[48] Any doubts about O.S.’s motives can be dispelledfrom the s. 34 report. When he was asked whether he had anger towards females,he responded by saying:
Not against any specific person;
Iwas thinking about this incel ideology — those kind of ideas going on in myhead; I guess that's why I chose that spot; they are mad at the world becausethey don't get any pussy; they can't get a girlfriend; sexual relationships; itwas so stupid for me to target that one place as there they offer you pussy forme to target that one place as there they offer you pussy — even if there youhave to pay for it; if there you have to pay for it; I didn't think about thisat the time: I was so fuckin stupid; also I was a virgin; why did I choose sofuckin stupid; also I was a virgin; why did I choose harm on those?"
[49] He added that at the time, he "did thisbecause of the stupid incel; I was already ER, [referring to Elliot Rodger'sbehaviour] and they made it worse; sometimes as a joke, sometimes serious; andI actually went ER".
[50] As evidenced by the s. 34 report, in the periodleading up to the incident, O.S. had become more focused on the incelcommunity, Elliot Rodger, and Alek Minassian, and had begun communicatingalmost exclusively over social media. There can be no doubt that O.S. was bothinspired by and identified with incel ideology when planning the attacks andcarrying them out.
[51] On the day of the attacks, O.S. took a note withhim that said “long live the incel rebellion”. He admitted that he wanted“everyone to find” this document because he wanted the world to know thatpeople like “us” exist. According to O.S., “incel rebellion” was a “fight backagainst the world” because of unfairness. T.E. explained that the term incelrebellion refers to Alek Minassian’s van attack in Toronto and incel motivatedviolence.
[52] Finally, after the incident, O.S. told theauthor of the s. 34 report that he
no longer believed in the incelrebellion, that his views had
changed and that he had been brainwashedonline. These comments show that, at the time of the offences, O.S. was clearlyinfused with the incel ideology. It is telling that the authors of the s. 34report concluded that the offences occurred “in the service of ideology andincreasing identification with the incel community, with a desire to repeattheir extreme behaviours as an expression of his hostility and anger about hisperceived situation and the world”.
[53] From the foregoing, it is clear that O.S.committed the offences whilst motivated by incel ideology.
