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* Added excerpt for ok-hand * Added excerpt for AsAm * Added excerpt for East Asian * Added excerpt for South Asian * Added excerpt for SE Asian * Added excerpt for bierasure * Added excerpt for biromantic * Added excerpt for bisexual * Added excerpt for cisgender * Added excerpt for crazy * Add excerpt for dumb * Add excerpt for derpy * Add excerpt for digital blackface * Add excerpt for dude * Add excerpt for ESL * Add excerpt for fatphobia * Add excerpt for gaslighting * Add excerpt for gender pronouns * Add excerpt for Hispanic * Add excerpt for hysterical * Add excerpt for latino * Add excerpt for latinx * Add excerpt for mansplain * Add excerpt for minorities * Add excerpt for minoritised * Add excerpt for neopronouns * Add excerpt for non-binary * Add excerpt for OCD * Add excerpt for Oriental * Add excerpt for ORM * Add excerpt for pansexual * Add excerpt for performative allyship * Add excerpt for polyamory * Add excerpt for pow-wow * Add excerpt for preferred pronouns * Add excerpt for pronouns * Add excerpt for r-word * Add excerpt for sane * Add excerpt for sanity check * Add excerpt for savage * Add excerpt for spaz * Add excerpt for suicide * Add excerpt for tone deaf * Add excerpt for transfeminine * Add excerpt for URM * Add excerpt for unreal * Add excerpt for white feminism * Add excerpt for white fragility * Add excerpt for women and people of colour * Add excerpt for transgender * Fix spelling for "existence" Co-authored-by: Tatiana Mac <github@tatianamac.com> * Fix wording for digital blackface excerpt Co-authored-by: Tatiana Mac <github@tatianamac.com> * Add indicators for flag levels Co-authored-by: Tatiana Mac <github@tatianamac.com> * Revert "Add indicators for flag levels" This reverts commit a291d5fa668156970e2496710bd6c39a53819e1b, because the flag level is already indicated in the excerpt structure. Co-authored-by: Oscar <ovlb@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: Tatiana Mac <github@tatianamac.com> Co-authored-by: Tatiana Mac <tatiana.t.mac@gmail.com>
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| title | slug | flag | defined | excerpt | speech | alt_words | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 👌 [ok-hand] | ok-hand |
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true | hand gesture where right thumb and right index finger form a circle; typically used for confirmation or as the number nine in American Sign Language, now appropriated as White Supremacist symbol | noun |
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hand gesture where right thumb and right index finger form a circle, remaining fingers fan out; in American Sign Language, gesture means number nine; in diving, gesture indicates “OK” as question or confirmation; gesture is used in an innocuous children's game called “The Circle Game,” where the gesture is held low—if another child looks at it, they get punched.
In 2017, the hand gesture was appropriated by White Supremacists on 4chan to mean White Power (the three fingers forming at 'W' and thumb and index forming the circle of the 'P'). It was framed as a hoax to "own" Leftists through trickery and gaslighting.
The hand gesture has been used by White Supremacists as a dogwhistle to identify other White Supremacists at rallies, in forums, and even at court hearings. In 2019, the hand gesture was added to the Anti-Defamation League's list of official symbols of hate.
Issues
While it can be argued that the symbol's origins and many of its uses do not imply racist connotations, and that the 4chan-ers "framed it as a hoax," it is undeniable that the symbol has evolved and become a gesture used sincerely by white supremacists.
The uncertainty created by the 4chan-ers is a critical part of their strategy. The strategy employs plausible deniability: Because they self-identified it as a hoax, they can fall back on that explanation. Meanwhile, if people begin to adapt the symbol, as they did, it becomes a dogwhistle for White Supremacists. It should be noted that this approach of indoctrinating symbols of hate is one long-documented, and used for the Swastika as well.
Impact
The people most vulnerable to the oppressive impact of White Supremacy will never know for certain if the symbol is being used in one of its non-violent manners or if it's being used in its racist violent manners. The oppressed must choose the option that protects them, which is typically erring on the side of caution.
Continuing to use the symbol with its non-hateful connotations to "take it back," does not eliminate its pervasive new meaning associated with White Supremacy. Instead, continuing usage only perpetuates emotional and psychological harm upon the most vulnerable and susceptible populations.