When Hate Speech Catches Up With You (aka, Kharma's a Bitch)

Gavin McInnes, the founder of the violent, misogynistic street gang known as the Proud Boys, found a safe space in Larchmont, NY, a quaint, upscale village in Westchester County.  The beautiful waterside community just north of New York City insulates McInnes’ wife and three young children from his daily life as an extremist gang leader who incites violence and espouses hate on any social media platform that’ll accept him.

McInnes’ family is shielded from what the rest of the nation sees on a regular basis: the rampant racism and misogyny that made him famous among chuds online; the punch-happy gang he started that commits violent acts across the country; his associations with white supremacists and skinheads and conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones; and his predilection for playing with himself on camera-- the list goes on.

Some local residents, who asked that their names not be published for fear of retribution from McInnes, said they weren’t aware of his status as leader of a neo-fascist organization until several Proud Boys made national headlines last year for attacking protesters in Manhattan. They were charged with assault and rioting, and McInnes’ neighbors began to take notice, as The Daily Beast reported at the time.

In Larchmont, Gavin McInnes found an escape from himself. That is, until his community found out who he was.

Today, there are signs dotting lawns in McInnes’ neighborhood that read, “Hate Has No Home Here.” They’re passed out by local religious organizations and displayed proudly by locals.

“We stand together as a community, and violence and hate are not tolerated here,” one resident told HuffingtonPost. “Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but Gavin? What he’s doing is a radical departure from discourse. He makes a conscious decision to incite violence and hate. We have our sign up because we want people to know this is a safe and friendly home.”

Once McInnes’ demons began to catch up with him within his own community, he decided to pen a letter to some of his neighbors who displayed signs on their properties. In a three-page, computer-typed screed dated Dec. 28, McInnes told numerous and blatant lies about the Proud Boys, his status as their leader and his intolerant views.

He claimed that his wife was a Democrat (which has nothing to do with McInnes' statements and deeds); that he is a “businessman and humorist” (he was a onetime businessman, but he left Vice Media over ten years ago), but his incitement of violence and his public comments about rape, women and LGBTQ communities are anything but funny); and that the Proud Boys are merely a “drinking club I started several years ago as a joke” (that’s simply not true).

The most telling aspect of the letter is that McInnes seems to argue that displaying an anti-hate sign is an inherent attack on his family.

HuffingtonPost spoke to several Larchmont residents who cited various reasons for displaying anti-hate signs in their neighborhood, not all of them having to do with McInnes. But they all agreed on one thing: McInnes is full of it.

“If you’re so tolerant, then put up a fucking sign in your yard, too, and stop being so narcissistic as to think that this is all about you,” said one resident.