A Neo-Nazi Leader Turns His Back on Movement, Comes Out as Jewish and Gay

Via video sceenshot
Via video sceenshot
Kevin Wilshaw has a mother who is Jewish.

Kevin Wilshaw, a known member of the far-right National Front organization, has announced his departure from the movement. He also surfaced as being gay. Wilshaw is a known face as a prominent National Front organizer during the 1980s. He was active among the white supremacist groups even a few months ago, speaking widely and frequently at events.

A Neo-Nazi Leader Turns His Back on Movement, Comes Out as Jewish and Gay[/tweetthis]

Wilshaw admits it is a contradiction being a Nazi as a gay man with a Jewish background. He said, “It’s a terribly selfish thing to say but it’s true, I saw people being abused, shouted at, spat at in the street – it’s not until it’s directed at you that you suddenly realize that what you’re doing is wrong.” He said many other National Front members are gay as well. There is also the contradiction, he said, of overtly gay members being leaders of the intensely homophobic National Front organization.

Wilshaw opened up during his interview with Britain’s Channel 4 News. He mentioned his mother was part Jewish. Her maiden name was Benjamin, and his family has Jewish blood on one part. When asked about his joining National Front, he wrote on the application form that he hated “the Jews.” He explained the phrase saying that, “That term ‘the Jews’ is the global faceless mass of people you can’t personalize it, not individuals. That’s the generalization that leads to 6 million people being deliberately murdered.”

When asked about why he joined the far right, Wilshaw said he was almost friendless in school. He wanted to mix with people who have aims. He thought joining the neo-Nazis would be an excellent option. He spoke about the comradeship these extremists provided each other. “Even though you end up being a group of people that through their own extreme views are cut off from society, you do have a sense of comradeship in that you’re a member of a group that’s being attacked by other people,” Wilshaw said.

Wilshaw admitted he came to the realization of the National Front being bad when he himself was subjected to the effects of the same hate propaganda he dished out. He points out being gay can be acceptable in a wider society, but opposed vehemently in the closed world of hate fringe groups. When National Front members thought he was gay, he was roundly abused. Wilshaw said that he has only hurt people in self-defense, mentioning an incident where he smashed a chair on someone during a by-election being held in Leeds.

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