Pink-Pilled: Women and the Far-Right–A Book Talk with Lois Shearing

Women play significant roles in far-right movements, acting as propagandists, prizes to be won, and mother-warriors of the nation. But up to now their activities have been largely overlooked. In Pink-pilled, journalist Lois Shearing interviews leading experts and infiltrates communities of “tradwives” and “femtrolls” to provide a cutting-edge account of how the far right uses the internet to recruit women. Shining a light on women’s experiences within these movements, Shearing reveals horrifying examples of misogyny and violence.

Understanding how and why women join movements that explicitly aim to restrict their autonomy is essential if we want to fight back. Pink-pilled offers key insights for countering women’s radicalization and building communities resistant to far-right thought.

On March 18, 2025, the Program on Extremism (POE) at The George Washington University hosted an event titled “Pink Pilled: Women and the Far-Right – A Book Talk with Lois Shearing.” Lois Shearing, author of Pink-Pilled: Women and the Far-Right, joined POE Research Fellow Luke Baumgartner to discuss the role of women in far-right movements. 

Shearing shared her insights on the manosphere of networked misogyny and the legacy of GamerGate on the alt-right movement. She explained the categories of online men’s activists, dating coaches, and incels (involuntary celibates) and how the underlying theme of anti-feminism was not only a radicalizer for men in the alt-right but also a significant pull factor for women into the movement. 

When asked about the rhetoric used to attract women to anti-feminist spaces, Shearing explained that it centers on convincing women that their best interests align with traditional femininity and gender roles. She referred to “tradwife” online content, which promotes the idea that women are happiest in their “natural state” at home and raising children. 

She further iterated that women are encouraged to focus solely on domestic work rather than pursue productive labor, such as paid jobs outside the home. Shearing also described common entry points for women to join these spaces, highlighting wellness and anti-medical establishment groups. 

While women rarely engage in violence because of these beliefs, Shearing shared that they are still critical components of the movement and propelling the ideas forward. She mentioned that women in this movement are essentially willing to give up some of their gender roles as a way to protect their whiteness.

Shearing concluded her remarks by explaining the concept of forward-facing media, where influencers build followings through seemingly innocuous content such as discussing baking, gender roles, or dating on major social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube. These discussions ultimately lead to engagement with backward-facing media or private spaces, like Telegram or Facebook groups, where ideological or extremist ideas are shared.