Proud Boys

The Proud Boys is a far-right, neo-fascist, and male-only white nationalist organization that promotes and engages in political violence in the United States and Canada. The group originated in the far-right Taki's Magazine in 2016 under the leadership of Vice Media co-founder and former commentator Gavin McInnes, taking its name from the song "Proud of Your Boy" from the 2011 Disney musical Aladdin. Although the Proud Boys emerged as part of the alt-right, McInnes distanced himself from this movement in early 2017, saying the Proud Boys were alt-light while the alt-right's focus was on race. The re-branding effort intensified following the white supremacist Unite the Right rally. Enrique Tarrio has been the chairman of the Proud Boys since late 2018. According to a former federal prosecutor and the transcripts of a 2014 federal court proceeding, Tarrio had previously served as an informant to both federal and local law enforcement.