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Bash Back!

Bash Back! was a loose, decentralized network of queer insurrectionary anarchist collectives that operated across North America from 2007 to 2010.^[1]^[2] Guided by four points of unity—fighting for liberation, rejecting capitalism and state power, opposing all forms of oppression, and embracing diverse tactics—the network rejected assimilationist LGBT politics in favor of direct confrontation with heteronormative institutions, religious bigots, and fascist elements.^[1]^[3] Originating in preparations for protests against the 2008 Democratic and Republican National Conventions, Bash Back! mobilized autonomous chapters in cities including Chicago, Milwaukee, Olympia, Pittsburgh, and Denver to organize queer blocs and actions emphasizing gender mutiny and social rupture over reformist gains like marriage equality or military inclusion.^[2]^[3] Notable efforts included disrupting anti-queer church services, such as the 2008 invasion of Mount Hope Church in Lansing, Michigan, with kiss-ins and banner drops; vandalizing Mormon facilities in response to Proposition 8; and confronting neo-Nazis at pride events, as in Albany, New York, in 2009 where participants physically repelled attackers.^[3]^[2] The group also squatted houses for queer and trans youth, hosted convergences for skill-sharing and planning, and participated in broader riots, like the 2009 G20 protests in Pittsburgh involving black bloc tactics.^[3]^[1] While celebrated among radicals for reclaiming queer militancy in the spirit of Stonewall-era resistance, Bash Back! faced internal divisions over identity politics versus class analysis, leading to tensions at its 2009 Chicago convergence and ultimate disbandment by 2010 amid legal repression, arrests, and a perceived drift toward less coherent, more liberal tendencies.^[1]^[3] Its legacy, documented in the Queer Ultraviolence anthology, influenced subsequent anarchist queer organizing, with calls for revival emerging in response to ongoing anti-trans violence and state encroachments.^[3]^[2]

Origins and Early Development

Formation and Initial Context (2007)

Bash Back! emerged in 2007 as an informal network of queer anarchists responding to the perceived limitations of mainstream LGBT activism, particularly its assimilationist tendencies toward state and corporate integration. The group's formation stemmed from a strategy session in Milwaukee, where participants developed plans for a militant queer and trans blockade during protests against the Republican National Convention (RNC) in St. Paul, Minnesota.^[2] This initiative addressed a noted absence of organized queer anarchist presence in broader anti-authoritarian mobilizations, positioning Bash Back! as a vehicle for insurrectionary tactics over reformist strategies.^[4] The network coalesced around opposition to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Denver and the RNC, with initial efforts focused on coordinating autonomous affinity groups for disruptive actions such as street blockades and property damage targeting symbols of heteronormativity and capitalism.^[1] Bash Back! Chicago quickly established itself as an early hub, announcing plans for a Radical Queer Convergence in April 2008 to build on these efforts and expand participation beyond convention protests.^[3] Lacking formal leadership or membership structures, the collective emphasized decentralized cells united by shared rejection of hierarchical queer organizations, drawing from insurrectionary anarchist principles to prioritize immediate revolt over long-term institutional advocacy.^[5] In the broader context of 2007's U.S. political landscape, Bash Back! formed amid heightened anarchist planning for convention disruptions, influenced by prior queer radicalism but distinct in its explicit call for "bashing back" against perceived oppressors through unmediated confrontation. Sources close to the network, including participant reflections, describe this period as filling a tactical void in queer organizing, though accounts vary in emphasizing either anti-convention focus or wider cultural insurgency.^[6] No centralized founding documents exist, reflecting the group's anti-authoritarian ethos, but early communiqués highlighted critiques of "homonormativity" in events like corporate-sponsored pride parades.^[7]

Expansion into a Network (2007-2008)

Bash Back! originated in Chicago in 2007 as an initiative to convene radical trans and queer activists for confrontational actions, particularly in response to major political conventions. A pivotal strategy session in Milwaukee that year proposed a queer and trans blockade of the Republican National Convention (RNC) scheduled for the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota) in September 2008, which catalyzed broader organizing efforts and attracted participants from multiple regions.^[2] This focus on high-profile disruptions shifted the group from localized efforts to a decentralized model, emphasizing affinity-based cells rather than formal hierarchy. By early 2008, the network had grown to include active presences in several Midwestern cities, with a convergence held in Chicago to plan coordinated protests against the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Denver, Colorado, and the RNC. These events involved nascent Bash Back! participants in direct actions, such as street blockades and property damage targeting symbols of state power, which demonstrated the network's operational reach across state lines.^[2] The loose structure—linked primarily by shared name, tactics, and social connections—facilitated rapid proliferation, as local autonomous groups adopted the Bash Back! banner to adapt insurrectionary strategies to regional contexts.^[1]^[4] This expansion phase, spanning late 2007 to 2008, saw the emergence of chapters or cells in at least Chicago, Milwaukee, the Twin Cities, and Denver, laying groundwork for further growth into Southern and Western cities like Memphis and Portland by the following year. The network's resonance among queer anarchists disillusioned with mainstream LGBT assimilationism drove this development, enabling decentralized planning for actions that rejected reformist politics in favor of immediate confrontation.^[2]^[3] Growth was organic, sustained by word-of-mouth within radical scenes rather than centralized recruitment, though it introduced variability in chapter ideologies and practices.^[4]

Ideology and Principles

Core Anarchist and Insurrectionary Framework

Bash Back! drew from insurrectionary anarchist traditions, emphasizing immediate, decentralized attacks against authority rather than reformist organizing or protracted revolutionary buildup. This framework, influenced by thinkers like Alfredo Bonanno, prioritized affinity-based cells and the propagation of "illegalist" practices—such as property destruction and confrontational tactics—to ignite widespread revolt without reliance on formal structures or mass movements.^[3] Participants rejected hierarchical decision-making, opting for autonomous actions coordinated loosely across cells in cities like Columbus, Ohio, and Portland, Oregon, from 2007 onward.^[2] Central to this approach was a commitment to anti-authoritarian principles, including the abolition of the state, capitalism, and normalized social hierarchies, which were seen as inherently oppressive to queer autonomy. Bash Back! advocated for "bash back" as a literal and metaphorical response to violence against queer individuals, framing self-defense and offensive actions as essential to dismantling cis-heteronormative power structures rather than seeking legal protections within them.^[5] Insurrectionary tactics manifested in disruptions like church invasions and corporate sabotage, intended not as isolated protests but as sparks for broader queer insurrection, echoing calls in communiqués for "reclaiming the violence taken from us." The network's ideology critiqued pacifism within radical circles as a constraint on queer agency, promoting instead a "politics of vengeance" that integrated queer desires with militant illegality. This involved rejecting victim narratives in favor of feral, unapologetic confrontation, as articulated in essays emphasizing that "to be queer is to be illegalist" and to propagate chaos against assimilation.^[8] While decentralized by design—lacking a central manifesto—Bash Back!'s framework aligned with broader insurrectionary currents by viewing every act of defiance as a potential node in an expanding web of rebellion, unbound by ethical codes imposed by states or NGOs.^[9]

Critique of Assimilationist Queer Politics

Bash Back! articulated a sharp rejection of assimilationist queer politics, which it viewed as a capitulation to state and capitalist structures that perpetuate oppression rather than dismantling them. Participants criticized mainstream LGBT organizations for prioritizing reforms such as marriage equality and inclusion in the military, arguing these efforts sought respectability within existing hierarchies at the expense of broader liberation.^[2]^[1] This stance positioned assimilationism as diluting queer radicalism by aligning with liberal democratic processes, exemplified by protests against the Human Rights Campaign's focus on electoral politics during the 2008 Democratic National Convention.^[10] Central to the critique was the assertion that assimilation reinforces normative family structures and consumerist individualism, sidelining intersectional struggles against racism, class exploitation, and gender binarism. Bash Back! writings emphasized that pursuing civil rights within the state integrates queers into systems historically complicit in violence against marginalized groups, advocating instead for "queer insurrection" that targets institutions like prisons and corporations.^[5] They contended that such politics fosters a false dichotomy between "good" (assimilated) queers and "bad" (deviant) ones, echoing historical patterns where visibility campaigns marginalized trans and gender-nonconforming individuals.^[11] The group further lambasted assimilationist strategies for their reliance on non-confrontational tactics, such as lobbying and corporate sponsorships, which they saw as demobilizing potential for direct action and co-opting queer anger into palatable advocacy.^[1] In communiqués and actions, Bash Back! promoted gender self-determination untethered from institutional validation, alongside promotion of polyamory, public sexuality, and anti-authoritarian networks as antidotes to the privatized, monogamous ideals peddled by reformist groups.^[11] This critique extended to a broader anti-statist framework, where mainstream queer gains were framed not as progress but as stabilization of power relations that demand conformity over disruption.^[4] Ultimately, Bash Back!'s opposition highlighted a perceived causal chain: assimilationist concessions sustain the very mechanisms—capital accumulation, surveillance, and normalized violence—that render queerness precarious, urging a pivot toward prefigurative communities and offensive tactics to erode these foundations.^[2]^[5] While this perspective resonated in anarchist circles, it underscored tensions with broader queer movements by prioritizing existential rupture over incremental inclusion.^[10]

Key Actions and Events

Disruptions and Direct Actions (2007-2009)

![Bash Back! protest in downtown Minneapolis, December 2009][float-right] Bash Back! cells engaged in numerous direct actions from 2007 to 2009, targeting assimilationist LGBTQ organizations, religious institutions promoting anti-queer views, military recruiters, and events associated with major political conventions. These actions often involved unpermitted marches, property damage, service disruptions, and symbolic protests, reflecting the network's insurrectionary anarchist orientation.^[3]^[1] Early efforts in 2007 focused on planning for protests against the 2008 Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Denver and Republican National Convention (RNC) in St. Paul, Minnesota. On November 13, 2007, queer anarchists in Milwaukee discussed blockading key intersections or religious fundamentalist gatherings during the RNC.^[3] During the conventions themselves, Bash Back! participated in disruptions; on September 1, 2008, activists in St. Paul blockaded bus access to the Excel Center for approximately 40 minutes, leading to one arrest and clashes with Westboro Baptist Church protesters.^[3] In Denver on August 25, 2008, the Colorado cell targeted a Stonewall Democrats party, followed the next day by a demonstration against the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) that resulted in four detentions and one arrest.^[3] Church disruptions highlighted opposition to perceived homophobic institutions. On November 9, 2008, Bash Back! activists in Lansing, Michigan, interrupted a service at Mount Hope Church—an evangelical megachurch running anti-queer programs—by dropping banners, distributing fliers, and staging kiss-ins, prompting a lawsuit from the Alliance Defending Freedom that secured a permanent injunction against future disruptions.^[12]^[2] Similar tactics occurred on November 15, 2008, when participants in Olympia, Washington, glued locks and spray-painted messages at a Mormon church in response to Proposition 8.^[3] In 2009, actions continued: on January 14 in Olympia, a Catholic church faced glued locks and smashed windows; April 20 in Seattle targeted Crossroads Bible Church during an anti-queer conference by spray-painting and sealing doors.^[3] Actions against mainstream LGBTQ events emphasized critiques of assimilationism. Bash Back! Twin Cities disrupted an HRC gala, while the Chicago cell protested corporate Pride on June 29, 2008, with a mock cage, barf bags symbolizing complacency, and a street dance party.^[1]^[3] In June 2009, Memphis activists liberated a house from a homophobic speculator on June 15 to form the Marsha P. Johnson Collective and disrupted Pride events on June 19–20 with anti-police fliers and banners commemorating Duanna Johnson, a trans woman killed by police.^[3] Washington, D.C., saw a June 27 march against HRC and corporate Pride, followed by October 11 "glamdalism"—glitter bombing and graffiti at HRC headquarters claimed by queers against assimilation.^[3]^[13]^[14] Counter-recruitment efforts addressed military ties to queer issues. Bash Back! Denver produced materials undermining military recruitment and conducted actions such as smashing recruitment office windows. Broader campaigns included the Avenge Duanna initiative after Johnson’s February 2008 police beating and November murder, involving multi-chapter actions like April 26, 2009, tire-slashing at an officer’s church in Memphis.^[2]^[3] In September 2009, during the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, a rowdy Bash Back! march contributed to unrest.^[2] These activities often involved confrontations with neo-Nazis, as in Milwaukee on June 7, 2008, and Chicago suburbs on June 29, 2009.^[3]

High-Profile Incidents and Responses (2009-2010)

In October 2009, members of Bash Back! Twin Cities disrupted a Human Rights Campaign (HRC) gala in Minneapolis by infiltrating the event dressed in campy wedding attire and reciting vows denouncing assimilationist queer politics and HRC's corporate ties.^[1] The action highlighted the group's opposition to mainstream LGBT organizations, which they accused of prioritizing marriage equality over broader liberation struggles.^[1] Concurrent with such disruptions, Bash Back! cells claimed responsibility for escalated direct actions, including arsons targeting institutions linked to anti-gay initiatives. On October 16, 2009, an affinity group from the Olympia chapter torched a Mormon Family Services office in Seattle, citing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' role in funding California's Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage.^[3] Similar claims emerged for a November 5, 2009, fire at the University of Michigan's admissions building in Ann Arbor, where the communiqué criticized university complicity in state violence against queer and trans individuals.^[3] These incidents drew federal scrutiny, with the FBI opening investigations into Bash Back! as a potential domestic extremist network amid a wave of claimed arsons. Responses from authorities and civil groups were swift and condemnatory. In Lansing, Michigan, following a November 2008 church disruption extended into 2009 charges, 23 individuals faced prosecution for blocking access to Mount Hope Church, leading to a federal lawsuit by the Alliance Defense Fund under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, alleging interference with religious services.^[11] The case settled with a $2,500 payment and a consent decree prohibiting further disruptions.^[15] Mainstream LGBT advocates, including HRC representatives, publicly distanced themselves, labeling Bash Back! tactics as counterproductive to achieving legal protections and warning of alienating potential allies.^[11] By 2010, heightened law enforcement pressure, including arrests during street confrontations at the Chicago Bash Back! convergence, contributed to operational challenges for the network.^[1] Participants reported increased surveillance and internal debates over sustainability, as media portrayals in outlets like The Advocate framed the group as emblematic of fringe extremism within queer activism, potentially undermining broader movement credibility.^[11] Conservative legal organizations amplified calls for prosecution, positioning the actions as threats to religious freedoms.^[11]

Reception and Controversies

Support from Radical Circles

Bash Back! garnered endorsement and ideological alignment from insurrectionary anarchist collectives and radical queer publications, which viewed its tactics as a continuation of anti-assimilationist direct action traditions. CrimethInc., an anarchist affinity group known for promoting autonomous resistance, featured interviews with former participants and announced a 2023 revival convergence, framing Bash Back! as a model for "insurrectionary queer organizing" that challenged state and capitalist co-optation of queer struggles.^[2] Similarly, anarchist archives hosted reflective essays praising the network's emphasis on "queer revolt" over academic theory, positioning it as a practical application of anarchist principles in marginalized communities.^[5] Support extended to the compilation and distribution of Bash Back!-affiliated writings in radical leftist repositories, such as the Queer Ultraviolence: Bash Back! Anthology, which collected communiqués, zines, and manifestos from 2007–2010 actions, emphasizing the network's role as a "militant tendency" within queer anarchism rather than a formal organization.^[9] These materials circulated in online anarchist libraries and were referenced in queer radical discourse as exemplars of unapologetic confrontation with heteronormativity and institutional power, drawing parallels to historical groups like ACT UP while critiquing their partial institutionalization. Anonymous essays from Pacific Northwest queer-anarchist circles further amplified this, advocating escalation beyond "bashing back" to proactive disruption, which resonated in informal networks during the network's active years.^[8] By the early 2010s, as Bash Back! dissolved amid burnout, radical circles sustained its legacy through retrospective endorsements in event reportbacks and cultural homages, such as theater productions invoking its direct-action ethos against evangelical and state targets.^[16] A 2023 convergence report from participants described the gathering as "joyfully militant" and aligned with ongoing anarchist queer experimentation, indicating enduring affinity despite the original network's finite lifespan from 2007 to 2011.^[17] This support remained confined to decentralized radical milieus, prioritizing affinity over hierarchical endorsement.

Criticisms from Broader Society and Allies

Broader society condemned Bash Back! for actions perceived as violations of religious freedom and public order, particularly the November 9, 2008, disruption at Mount Hope Church in Lansing, Michigan, where approximately 12 members entered during services, unfurled a banner reading "Fight Homophobia," distributed flyers, and engaged in same-sex kissing to protest the church's anti-gay teachings.^[18] The incident prompted the church, represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, to file a federal lawsuit in 2009 against Bash Back! and 14 identified participants, alleging intimidation of worshippers and misuse of facilities in violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) and related statutes, leading to service of court orders on 23 associated individuals.^[19] ^[20] A federal judge issued a permanent injunction barring the group from disrupting religious services anywhere in the U.S., with potential contempt charges and $10,000 fines per violation, framing the actions as targeted harassment rather than protected speech.^[20] Media coverage amplified these views, portraying Bash Back! as a radical anarchist threat; the Mount Hope event received national attention on Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, where conservative commentators highlighted it as an assault on Christian gatherings amid broader cultural tensions over same-sex marriage.^[19] Similar disruptions, such as pickets and intrusions at other churches promoting traditional views on sexuality, fueled fears among religious communities of escalating anarchy, with court filings describing the group's online materials as endorsing violence and extremism.^[21] Law enforcement responses included investigations into potential domestic threats, though Eaton County Sheriff reports found no criminal acts in the initial church incident, underscoring debates over the line between protest and coercion.^[19] Allied critiques within queer and leftist circles focused on tactical ineffectiveness and reputational damage to broader LGBT advocacy. Mainstream LGBT media and community figures argued that Bash Back!'s confrontational methods, including church invasions during a period of Prop 8 backlash, alienated moderates sympathetic to civil rights gains through legislation and courts, prompting sentiments like "enough is enough" from those favoring assimilation over insurrection.^[22] Local responses in Michigan questioned the protests' value, viewing them as provocative spectacles that invited legal reprisals and media demonization without advancing dialogue or policy change, potentially reinforcing stereotypes of queers as disruptive militants.^[19] Even some radicals noted internal tensions, with the group's antagonism toward mainstream organizations like those pursuing marriage equality seen as fracturing potential coalitions against shared oppressors like the state and military.^[1] These concerns contributed to Bash Back!'s marginalization, as allies prioritized strategies perceived as sustainable for incremental reforms over high-risk direct actions.

Decline and Dissolution

Internal Challenges and Burnout (2010-2011)

By late 2009, following the national Bash Back! convergence in Chicago, significant internal divisions emerged within the network, primarily between Midwestern and Southern chapters advocating for direct, violent insurrectionary tactics and newer coastal participants favoring non-violent approaches infused with identity politics.^[5] These tensions escalated into open infighting, as documented in participant accounts from the event, which highlighted clashes over strategic priorities and the integration of above-ground organizing with clandestine actions under a single banner.^[7] ^[5] The Chicago convergence, held in 2009, exacerbated security concerns, with critics noting that combining public networking and militant planning increased risks of infiltration and legal exposure, further straining interpersonal dynamics and trust among cells.^[5] This led to a major schism, fragmenting the loose affinity-based structure and reducing coordinated multi-chapter actions by 2010.^[4] Ideological rifts over the role of violence in queer resistance—contrasting raw, anti-assimilationist confrontation with more reformist or academic-influenced queer theory—intensified burnout among core participants, who faced ongoing legal fees, repression fallout, and the emotional toll of sustaining high-intensity networks without hierarchical support.^[5] ^[23] Into 2011, exhaustion manifested in waning activity across chapters, with many cells dissolving due to depleted resources and interpersonal fatigue from unresolved conflicts, as reflected in retrospective analyses framing the network's "burnout" as a limit of its decentralized, volunteer-driven model rather than external factors alone.^[23] ^[4] By this period, Bash Back! had effectively ceased as a formal entity, though individual participants continued sporadic actions under other banners, underscoring how internal discord eroded the collective's capacity for sustained insurgency.^[5]

External Pressures and Legal Repercussions

Bash Back! encountered significant external pressures from law enforcement, conservative legal organizations, and state authorities, which intensified scrutiny and contributed to operational constraints during its later years. Federal subpoenas were issued in 2009 to at least 23 members across Midwest chapters in cities including Milwaukee, Lansing, and Chicago, reportedly linked to coordination around the Lansing Consulta event; FBI agents visited homes of associates to gather information, heightening paranoia and limiting public organizing.^[3] Police harassment extended to contacting parents of activists in Milwaukee and Lansing to extract details on group activities, as detailed in a 2011 communiqué.^[3] A prominent legal repercussion stemmed from the November 9, 2008, disruption at Mount Hope Church in Lansing, Michigan, where approximately 15 activists stormed a service, released mice, and chanted slogans against the church's anti-LGBT positions. No immediate criminal charges were filed due to gaps in existing disruption laws, prompting the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) to file a federal civil lawsuit in May 2009 against Bash Back! Lansing, pseudonymous "Jesse Does," and 13 individuals, seeking an injunction, damages, and enforcement under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.^[20] ^[21] The suit expanded to include additional defendants by November 2009; a federal judge later ruled that the group could face contempt charges for violations, though the criminal investigation stalled.^[20] The case concluded in July 2011 without specifying settlement details, but it imposed financial and legal burdens on defendants. Legislative responses emerged directly in reaction to Bash Back! actions. In Michigan, House Bill 4537 (Substitute H-3), passed in 2009, criminalized disrupting worship services as a misdemeanor, explicitly addressing the Mount Hope incident where prior laws proved insufficient for prosecution; the bill stipulated penalties including up to 93 days in jail and $500 fines.^[24] ^[25] This measure reflected broader state efforts to counter perceived threats from radical activism, amid coverage in conservative media outlets like Fox News and Bill O'Reilly's program, which amplified public and institutional backlash.^[3] Arrests during direct actions compounded these pressures, often involving charges of assault, obstruction, and disorderly conduct. In Chicago on May 30, 2009, four activists—known as the "Fabulous Four"—were arrested during a spontaneous march in Boystown, facing misdemeanor counts of aggravated assault on a police officer and obstructing justice after clashes where officers used batons and vehicles, injuring protesters including broken toes and bruised ribs; arraignment occurred on August 7, 2009.^[3] Similar incidents included two arrests in the Twin Cities on October 17, 2009, for counter-demonstrating a neo-Nazi rally, charged with disorderly conduct and unlawful assembly.^[3] In Denver's "Ariel Attack" (2009), an individual smashed 11 windows at Democratic Party headquarters, pleading to a misdemeanor with 11 months' unsupervised probation and $5,600 in restitution.^[3] Police responses frequently escalated violence, prioritizing protection of counter-protesters like neo-Nazis while targeting gender-nonconforming demonstrators, as seen in multiple 2009-2010 events in Portland, Seattle, and Milwaukee.^[3] These cumulative legal entanglements, coupled with death threats from right-wing groups like the Ku Klux Klan and ideological denunciations from assimilationist LGBT organizations, strained resources and morale, accelerating the network's effective dissolution by 2011.^[3]

Post-Dissolution Legacy and Revival Attempts

Influence on Subsequent Activism

Bash Back!'s promotion of direct action tactics, including disruptions of religious services, property damage targeting symbols of authority, and rejection of non-violent assimilationism, shaped a persistent insurrectionary tendency within queer anarchist circles after its peak activity. Former participants credited the network with inspiring autonomous, localized efforts such as the creation of squats for homeless queer and trans youth in Memphis and the distribution of self-defense resources to marginalized communities.^[3] These actions extended the model's emphasis on immediate confrontation over institutional reform, influencing affinity-based crews that prioritized street-level resistance and anti-state praxis.^[3] The 2009 Chicago convergence, involving around 100 participants from multiple chapters, amplified internal debates on militancy versus safer spaces, ultimately reinforcing a "diffuse, militant queer nihilism" that outlasted formal structures.^[3] This event spurred offshoots like Pink and Black Attack, a publication series that disseminated queer anarchist writings on violence, identity politics critiques, and solidarity with broader rebellions, such as those during the 2010 G20 protests in Toronto.^[3] Its tactical legacy—encompassing flash mobs against corporate homophobia in New York City and police confrontations in Portland—encouraged subsequent groups to adopt gang-like formations and "diversity of tactics" for ongoing social war against heteronormativity and state power.^[3] By the 2020s, Bash Back!'s framework informed revival efforts amid rising anti-queer violence, with original affiliates calling a September 8-11, 2023, convergence in Chicago to rebuild networks focused on "riotous joy" and collective defense, viewing liberal strategies like electoralism as inadequate.^[2] ^[26] Echoes appeared internationally, as a self-described trans-led "Bash Back" collective in the UK claimed vandalism of a feminist conference site in Brighton on October 10, 2025, smashing windows and applying graffiti to protest perceived exclusions, mirroring the original's disruptive interventions.^[27] Such adaptations highlight the model's transmission to newer militants prioritizing unmediated confrontation over dialogue.^[27]

Recent Revivals and Contemporary Echoes (2011-2025)

Following the original network's dissolution around 2011, sporadic efforts emerged to revive its insurrectionary queer anarchist ethos through gatherings rather than a formalized structure. In March 2023, participants from the 2007–2010 era announced an international Bash Back! convergence in Chicago, scheduled for September 8–11, explicitly invoking the 2008 origins to foster discussions on queer autonomy, anti-fascism, and direct action amid rising anti-trans legislation and authoritarian trends.^[26] ^[2] The event drew radical queer and trans participants for workshops, skill-shares, and social activities, including a warehouse rave and mutual aid initiatives, emphasizing informal networking over institutional revival.^[28] ^[29] Attendees explicitly rejected proposals to reconstitute Bash Back! as a named organization, prioritizing decentralized tendencies to avoid past internal conflicts like ideological infiltration and burnout that led to the 2011 disbandment.^[30] Reportbacks highlighted themes of "queer joy" and combat training, such as affinity-based skill sessions, but no coordinated actions or chapters materialized post-event, aligning with anarchist critiques of hierarchy.^[31] This gathering echoed original tactics by blending partying with militancy, though participation remained niche within radical subcultures.^[32] Building on this, a Northeast Regional Bash Back! convergence occurred on April 27, 2024, featuring an unsanctioned anarchist Muay Thai "smoker" event organized by fighters with queer anarchist affinities, underscoring ongoing emphasis on physical preparedness against perceived threats like fascist mobilization.^[33] By 2025, no further large-scale convergences or network reforms were documented, with echoes persisting in informal queer anarchist writings and actions invoking Bash Back!'s legacy for anti-state resistance, though without the scale or disruptions of the 2007–2010 period.^[34] These efforts reflect a fragmented persistence in radical circles, influenced by broader insurgencies like those during the 2020 uprisings, but constrained by legal risks and ideological fragmentation.^[35]

References

[1]
Reflections on Bash Back! 2007-2010: An Interview | It's Going Down
May 3, 2017 · Bash Back! was a queer anarchist network with “chapters” in various cities across North America that existed from 2007-2010.
[2]
Bash Back! Is Back : Reviving an Insurrectionary Queer Network
Apr 27, 2023 · Participants in Bash Back!, a queer insurrectionary network 2007-2010, have called for a new Bash Back! convergence in September 2023.
[3]
Queer Ultra Violence - The Anarchist Library
Bash Back! originated as a haven for queers already involved in anarchist struggles, and it intended to carve a space for those often disenfranchised from ...
[4]
Reflections on the Demise of Bash Back! - Kersplebedeb
Sep 5, 2010 · Bash Back! was started in 2007 as a network of queer anarchists to have a specifically queer presence at the Democratic National Convention and ...Missing: history | Show results with:history
[5]
Bash Back! is Dead; Bash Back Forever! - The Anarchist Library
Bash Back! can be read as an attempt to expropriate queer theory from the Academy and put it toward the service of queer revolt.
[6]
For a revolutionary queer movement. | The Anarchist Library
In the USA, another important movement of this period is Queers Bash Back, which emerged during the 2007 election campaign. This informal network of radical ...Missing: initial | Show results with:initial
[7]
[PDF] Queer Ultra Violence: Bashback! Anthology - Libcom.org
In line with the Bash Back! tendency, for the uses of this anthology queer is trans because the gender binary is inherently oppressive. More often than not, our ...
[8]
Bash Back! - Wikipedia
Bash Back! was noticeably influenced by the anarchist movement and radical queer groups, such as ACT UP, and took inspiration from the Stonewall and San ...
[9]
I Don't Bash Back I Shoot First - The Anarchist Library
I Don't Bash Back I Shoot First On Queer Gangs. 1 . FIND EACH OTHER. 2 . TAKE SPACE (& EVERYTHING). 3 . SHARE THE GIFT OF YOUR VIOLENCE. NO CONCLUSIONS. BE GAY ...
[10]
Queer ultraviolence: Bash Back! anthology - Libcom.org
Sep 17, 2016 · Bash Back! was a militant tendency of queer individuals, a temporary counter culture with direct confrontation, including actions like bar ...<|separator|>
[11]
6 Movements and Organizations that Map Militancy in LGBT History
Oct 25, 2018 · Bash Back! members believed that what destroys us must be destroyed. Uniquely, this included not only state powers, but also mainstream LGBT ...Missing: rejection | Show results with:rejection
[12]
Bash Back!: The New LGBT Activism? - Advocate.com
Aug 25, 2009 · What Bash Back! supports is gender self-determination, lots of sex and pornography, and confrontation as a first resort -- a necessary response ...
[13]
Michigan Evangelical Church Targeted by Activists - Advocate.com
An evangelical church in Lansing, Mich., was targeted this weekend by activists who claim it's "antiqueer." The group Bash Back disrupted services Sunday ...
[14]
Glamdalism - The New York Times
On October 11, the radical gay activist group Bash Back! announced on its Web site: HRC [Human Rights Campaign] headquarters was rocked by an act of ...
[15]
HRC Cleans Up Graffiti Left by 'Radical Queers' - DCist
A web site called Bash Back News published a message from a group who claims responsibility for the vandalism. The group says they are against ...
[16]
Archives | Law and Disorder Radio
They sued the Bash Back folks under the “Faith Act” – Freedom To Access To Clinics Act. They sued them and settled for 2500.00 and a consent decree that they ...
[17]
Freddie Pays Homage to Radical Queer Activism with 'Bashback!'
Jun 14, 2021 · In the late 2000s, an LGBTQ+ anarchist collective called Bash Back! sprung up in Chicago to continue that tradition of direct action. In a ...
[18]
A Bash Back! reportback from a group of janky & rowdy queers
Sep 24, 2023 · The queer anarchist project embodied by Bash Back! Is first and foremost a refusal of victimhood and a reclamation of the violence taken ...
[19]
Bash Back! - Radical gay group - worries some churches - MLive.com
Nov 21, 2008 · Midway through the service, Bash Back! members stood up and began yelling. Some threw pro-gay fliers in the air. Others unfurled a banner inside ...Missing: criticism | Show results with:criticism
[20]
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### Summary of Backlash Against Bash Back!
[21]
Mount Hope Church v. Bash Back! - Alliance Defending Freedom
Bash Back! Details. Press. Documents. Summary. Federal judge rules that anarchist group will face contempt of court charges ... Bash Back! invaded one of the ...
[22]
Anarchists Go to Church - In These Times
Jun 24, 2009 · Court papers paint Bash Back! as an extremist group. The complaint cites text and images from the Lansing chapter's website that express support ...
[23]
Bash Back! proves queer insurrections didn't stop with Stonewall.
Jun 20, 2019 · The Stonewall riots are easy to celebrate because they're in the past. But the need for queer insurrection is hardly history. By Ella Fassler.
[24]
Hostis 2 Beyond Recognition - The Anarchist Library
Yet our anxiety about burnout remains of a metaphysical disagreement. Our original claim about Bash Back! 'burning out' must be understood against the backdrop ...Missing: internal | Show results with:internal
[25]
House Bill 4537 (Substitute H-3) - Michigan Legislature
As a result, no charges could filed against members of Bash Back! for the incident. Michigan law currently makes it a criminal offense to disrupt a worship ...
[26]
Bash Back! Lansing protest fallout continues - Pride Source
LANSING – A protest by the radical queer organization Bash Back! Lansing in 2008 has resulted in the state passing a new misdemeanor criminal law.
[27]
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Mar 15, 2023 · Bash Back! Internation Conference, Chicago, Sept 8-11. From bashback.info. In 2008, queer anarchists gathered in Chicago to plot a disruption ...
[28]
Trans activists vandalise FiLiA feminist conference in Brighton - BBC
Oct 10, 2025 · Activists from Bash Back, which describes itself as a "trans-led direct action group", posted a statement saying it was behind the vandalism.<|separator|>
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A Bash Back! reportback from a group of janky & rowdy queers who ...
Sep 23, 2023 · A Bash Back! reportback from a group of janky & rowdy queers who had a gay ol time. Posted on 2023/09/23 - 2023 ...
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Recently, part of our crew returned from Bash Back! 2023, an ...
Sep 15, 2023 · An an4rchist convergence in so-called Chicago. Over the course of five days, for the first time in 15 years rad1cals to share meals, build queer and trans joy.
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a minor contribution to a humble conversation - Bash Back News
a minor contribution to a humble conversation. Posted on 2023/09/24 - 2023/09/25 by bbnews ... Convergence, it makes sense to take a moment to name one proposal which was *not* put forward last week: the return of Bash Back! as a named organization.
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bash back! | anarchistnews.org
These are questions that have ruptured throughout queer anarchist history since the late 2000s. Bash Back! has been called many different things over the years.<|control11|><|separator|>
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Queer Autonomy: Ultraviole(n)t Orange - Bash Back News
Oct 2, 2023 · Bash Back! has been described by both detractors and celebrators as nihilist, anarchist, insurrectional, militant, and feral. The pejorative ...
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Bash Back - Anarchist Federation
An Invitation & Call to Action for the First Annual Smash By Smash West March 8-16 Every Spring, South by Southwest brings a flood of tourists, celebrities, ...
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we cut our teeth on each other - Bash Back News
we cut our teeth on each other. Posted on 2023/09/21 - 2023/09/24 by bbnews ... Find the tendency that lit the fire at the Bash Back warehouse rave inside ...
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Questions to be Considered Before Chicago | The Anarchist Library
Jul 1, 2023 · For the Attack 6 especially, they see Bash Back! as something that formed specifically for the queer anarchist protest of the 2008 RNC and DNC ...Missing: movements | Show results with:movements