Gavin McInnes, a Canadian writer, actor and comedian who has appeared on Fox News and The Blaze, and his posse of Proud Boys faced protestors at NYU last week during what was supposed to be a speaking engagement and Q&A by the conservative comedian and podcaster.
A student group, NYU Anti-Fascists, posted an invitation to protest the speech, which said McInnes “has a long track record of using incendiary language to attract media attention and frenzy,” language that includes calling Jada Pinkett-Smith a “monkey actress.”
“I’m dumbfounded that NYU would invite somebody who is a hate speaker. He is a fascist,” student Tamara Fine said.
RELATED: Gavin McInnes speaking at NYU, protests underway
Invited by NYU College Republicans, McInnes was expected to give a two hour speech on Feb. 2, but a scuffle broke out between protestors, Proud Boys and police resulting in 11 arrests.
Arrests happening outside of Kimmel. pic.twitter.com/57vSCYp86l— NYU Local (@NYULocal) February 3, 2017
The following day, McInnes, who calls feminists “sh–ty men,” spoke to Metro about his group of “western chauvinist” pals, the Proud Boys.
“McInnes is the founder of a group called the ‘Proud Boys,'” Emmy-winning reporter Ray Villeda wrote for NBC. “He dubs himself a ‘western chauvinist,’ uses racial epithets in his essays and has argued that women make less money because they are less ambitious than men.”
The word “chauvinist,” McInnes said, has nothing to do with keeping women down like the term “male chauvinist” might. He said the word just means arrogant pride. “West is best,” according to the group’s Twitter account.
This crazy bitch never gets old.
You’re ProudBoys! You’re ProudBoys!https://t.co/6MA7WRjvoN pic.twitter.com/JRGAyuFKcT— Proud Boys ?? (@ProudBoysUSA) February 4, 2017
The Proud Boys is a men’s club, much like the Shriner’s Club or the Elk Club, McInnes explained. The group meets once a month and its 2,000 members worldwide, according to McInnes, aren’t all anti-abortion rights (like McInnes) and are from all religions and ethnic backgrounds. Women, however, are not invited.
Many of the Proud Boys were raised by single moms and needed a male figure in their lives, according to the co-founder of Vice Media (McInnes and Vice severed ties in 2008).
“There is a real war on masculinity,” the father of two boys and a girl said. McInnes told Metro that in a world where a student gets suspended for chewing a Pop Tart into the shape of the gun, he teaches his sons: “Yes, you can be a boy. You can shoot people with water pistols.
“People say if someone’s fighting, go get a teacher. No, if someone’s f—ing up your sister, put them in the hospital.”
But don’t ask about how his daughter will fare in a Proud Boys future. McInnes calls that a “liberal question.”
“My daughter will have all the opportunities that she needs. My daughter is no one’s business.”
McInnes said he teaches his Proud Boys to start a new chapter, the “dad chapter,” and put a ring on it. The Proud Boys are big on proposing, McInnes said.
But not before sowing some wild oats.
The aftermath of me helping a guy after being jumped by thugs. The police and 100’s of civilians stood and watched. pic.twitter.com/7hN2iJ4kkf— Jake Shields (@jakeshieldsajj) February 2, 2017
The “pope” of the group, Dante Nero, has some rules on masturbation, including one rule that says a man should not ejaculate unless he is within one yard of a woman, particularly his wife.
“Wanking” alone into a tissue is just sad and wrong, McInnes said, and he puts much of the blame on video games and porn for men’s failures with women.
“With your brain on porn, you think you can f–k all these 10s, like you’re Attila the Hun,” but when the real-world hits, McInnes said, these guys get hit with a stark depression when they realize they “are not going to do better” than a real-life woman.
The initiation process for the Proud Boys, according to McInnes, goes something like this:
First degree – Declare you’re a Proud Boy.
Second degree – The other Proud Boys “beat the crap out of you” until you can name five breakfast cereals. You also have to stop “beating off.”
Third degree – Added to the above, you get a tattoo.
Fourth degree – The final step involves “a major fight for the cause,” McInnes said. “You get beat up, kick the crap out of an antifa” and possibly get arrested.
McInnes said the Proud Boys believe in advocating free speech and he was encouraging last week’s protestors to take the microphone and engage in a debate.
McInnes was pepper sprayed during the melee, but tweeted that “being called a Nazi burned way more.”
Still had pepper spray on my clothes when I got home. My non-white kid broke out in hives after hugging me. Antifa are going to die. pic.twitter.com/BnKAPE7xzv— Gavin McInnes (@Gavin_McInnes) February 3, 2017
McInnes said he is about ready to give up on debate after the way he and the 10 Proud Boys who came to support him were treated and he is willing to speak “the only language these people understand.”
“Not only would I love to speak, but I will get violent and beat the f–k out of everybody.”