Richard Spencer, the Nazi/white supremacist leader who led a 2017 flash mob (full of brandished tiki torches and everything) in Charlottesville, North Carolina, wants everyone to believe that he’s turned over a new leaf. He’s apparently motivated by a desire to find love again after his marriage dissolved amid allegations of domestic violence on his behalf. Never mind that his far-right fan base has turned on him, and he was greeted by an audience of hecklers while touring universities. He’s also admittedly broke and had his gym membership revoked due to his confrontational nature, but The Spence won’t let that stop him.
A brave Jezebel writer (Laura Bassett) went into investigative mode after receiving a tip that Spencer’s cruising Bumble in the Dallas, Texas area. She gathered screencaptures of a man who remarkably looked like Richard Spencer and claimed to be 6’1″ tall and a Taurus who’s seeking a relationship (not a hookup!). He also, curiously, labeled himself as “moderate” and “vaccinated.”
You might be raising your eyebrows at those last two claims, too. Bassett took the plunge and contacted Spencer after wondering if someone was using his photos as a catfish. And that’s a fair question, given that Spencer’s photos are projecting a man who’s putting on the full “Christmas tree photo” airs (really, you must see these photos), but Spencer (as contacted through his phone number) confirmed that, yes, that’s his Bumble profile, and he’d “appreciate your respecting my privacy.” He texted, “This is obviously not newsworthy. I’m simply living my life.”
Spencer continued to respond to Bassett while declaring (in a series of texts), “I’m not a white supremacist leader any more. The entire right generally hates me. The feeling of [sic] mutual / On basic issues, I’m pretty much a liberal: Gun control, abortion, etc / I don’t lie or deceive anyone.” He neglects to mention his love of Confederate statues, but whaddya gonna do? Man, online dating is full of people pretending not to be themselves, but it sure sounds like this would make for one hellaciously awkward first date.
Ladies, imagine showing up and meeting the man who the Southern Poverty Law Center describes as “a suit-and-tie version of the white supremacists of old, a kind of professional racist in khakis.” He’s also the guy, as SPLC notes, who invented the “alt-right” term to downplay straight-up white supremacist beliefs and make them seem a little more friendly. Yup, that’s a hard Swipe Left!
(Via Jezebel)