 | |
Type of site |
Internet forum |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Predecessor(s) | r/incels, incels.co, incels.me |
| URL | incels |
| Commercial | No |
| Registration | Required |
| Launched | November 8, 2017 |
| Current status | Online |
incels.is, formerly known as incels.co and incels.me, is an English-language incel forum founded in 2017 after the banning of r/incels. It since gained notoriety for being the largest English-speaking incel internet forum, and became a main subject of academic literature treating the incel online subculture.
History
The incel subculture became an online phenomenon in the early 2010s, during which various chat rooms and message boards dedicated to it started to emerge.
The website was founded on November 8, 2017, after the banning of the r/incels subreddit. The founders, "Marquis" and "Serge", as reported by BuzzFeed News, also run the suicide encouragement forum Sanctioned Suicide. In the same article, they claim that both forums are intended as support communities.
Over years, it has switched between .me, .co and .is TLD extensions due to suspension from domain registrars.
Site characteristics
The website registration is approval-based. The moderators ban women and LGBT individuals from joining, justifying so by stating that the forum is oriented towards straight men.
It is composed of public and registered message boards for self-described incels to discuss their personal experiences.
Demographics
Despite common stereotypes of incels as young white men, according to the website 40% of its users are of an ethnic minority background.
According to a 2019 website poll, one in four members were on the autism spectrum.
Public image
Both of the website's public and hidden content are characterized by hate speech and trolling.The Guardian reports that users on the website encourage mass shootings. Due to its content and moderation, it has faced suspension from domain registrar services.
Notable members
- Jack Peterson, media personality.
- Nathan Larson (criminal), American politician and white supremacist.