The Anti-Defamation League has added the “OK” hand gesture and many other symbols to its “Hate on Display” online database.
The Anti-Defamation League said the “OK” sign “is an obvious and ancient gesture that has arisen in many cultures over the years with different meanings” but has since fallen to a hoax made up by users from 4chan where they promoted it as a symbol of white supremacy.
“In the case of the ‘okay; gesture, the hoax was so successful the symbol became a popular trolling tactic on the part of right-leaning individuals, who would often post photos to social media of themselves posing while making the ‘okay’ gesture,” the Anti-Defamation League continued. “Ironically, some white supremacists themselves soon also participated in such trolling tactics, lending an actual credence to those who labeled the trolling gesture as racist in nature.”
There have been real world consequences for people using the “OK” sign since the 4chan trolling came about in 2017.
A Chicago Cubs fan was banned a fan for life after concluding he had made a racist gesture on camera during a game by displaying the “OK” gesture. The Christchurch shooter flashed “OK” during his court hearing in March.
During Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation in 2018, Republican operative Zina Bash made the “OK” sign as she rest her hand on her arm, sparking outrage on social media. Bash’s husband defended his wife on Twitter calling the accusations of her being a white supremacist “repulsive,” partly because she has Mexican heritage on her mother’s side.
“Everyone tweeting this vicious conspiracy theory should be ashamed of themselves,” he wrote. “We weren’t even familiar with the hateful symbol being attributed to her for the random way she rested her hand during a long hearing.”
“Because of the traditional meaning of the ‘okay’ hand gesture, as well as other usages unrelated to white supremacy, particular care must be taken not to jump to conclusions about the intent behind someone who has used the gesture,” the Anti-Defamation League concluded.
