The far-right movement in recent years has been largely shaped by right-wing influencers: podcasters, YouTubers, and other popular online figures with increasingly extreme views. And many of these influencers regularly target LGBTQ+ People who oppose almost every aspect of queer rights. Their focus on the queer community is clear through commentary feeds, grassroots efforts, legislative efforts, and more. Here are 12 of the most powerful and influential anti-LGBTQ+ extremists and what you need to know about them.
matt walsh
Senior Contributor daily wire He is also a producer of sensational documentaries. What is a woman?Matt Walsh continues to utilize media tools to create frames transgender People as a cultural threat. His work has been cited in state-level legislative efforts to restrict gender-affirming care. He remains a prominent presence at conservative conferences, speaking directly to groups aligned with the anti-trans movement.
Chaya Laichik (TikTok Library)
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Chaya Reichik, creator of the social media account Libs of TikTok, continues to amplify videos of educators, drag performers, and queer youth with inflammatory comments and framing. Major media outlets are tracking links between her posts and harassment campaigns directed at LGBTQ+-inclusive schools. Security experts call her tactics stochastic terrorism. Lajcik’s influence remains significant in the right-wing online ecosystem, where she frames narratives of “indoctrination” and “grooming” in queer youth spaces.
Laura Loomer
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc (via Getty Images)
Far-right activist Laura Loomer continues to use online platforms and live events to attack LGBTQ+ equality, particularly transgender rights and gay-inclusive education. Previously banned from many mainstream platforms, she moved to fringe networks and continues to be a vocal critic of Pride celebrations, LGBTQ+ corporate initiatives, and queer acceptance in schools. As a confidant of President Donald Trump, Loomer has pressured the federal government to fire people he deems insufficiently loyal to the MAGA movement.
candace owens
Jeff Kowalski/AFP via Getty Images
Political commentator and book author Candace Owens remains a prominent figure in conservative media. Her rhetoric consistently frames transgender rights and gay representation as part of larger ideological struggles over children, education, and culture. She is currently being sued by French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, who allege that Ms. Owens is transgender, although there is no proof that this is the case. Through social media channels, podcast appearances, and public speaking, Owens continues to galvanize audiences against LGBTQ+ diversity efforts in education and corporate settings.
riley gaines
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Riley Gaines, a former college swimmer turned anti-trans activist who finished tied for fifth place with a transgender swimmer, has made her opposition to transgender participation in women’s sports a national platform. She appeared alongside lawmakers drafting a bill that would exclude trans women from women-designated athletics. Although some of her legal claims were dismissed in late 2025, her advocacy remains at the center of anti-trans legislation across state capitals.
Nick Fuentes
William Edwards/AFP via Getty Images
Nick Fuentes is a white supremacist streamer so extreme that Charlie Kirk has a feud with him that he remains influential in extremist online communities despite being banned from the platform. He uses alternative streaming sites to spread anti-LGBTQ+, anti-Semitic, and white supremacist messages, along with broader conspiratorial and authoritarian themes.
benny johnson
Benny Johnson, a digital influencer and former creative chief at Turning Point USA, has moved from meme culture to targeted political messaging. He has created viral videos about Pride events and LGBTQ+ acceptance as “indoctrination,” and has contributed to campaigns against businesses and schools. His message resonates within the right-wing social media ecosystem and is influencing grassroots movements. He has produced pro-Trump videos following Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over violent ICE raids in which masked federal agents rob illegal immigrants.
scott pressler
Right-wing activist Scott Pressler is active in conservative organizing, including voter campaigns. He also uses his social media presence to amplify anti-drug and anti-trans discourse, aligning himself with grassroots foot soldiers in the culture war over queer visibility. Pressler is gay.
robbie starbuck
Filmmaker and former Congressman Robbie Starbuck has maintained a media presence centered around anti-LGBTQ+ representation in the entertainment and education sectors. He has publicly participated in campaigns to pressure companies over pride marketing and supported local political candidates running on anti-transgender platforms. His work highlights the intersection of cultural production and political mobilization in anti-LGBTQ+ pitches. Mr. Starbuck’s mission was to target companies’ diversity efforts, leading some companies to withdraw from inclusivity programs.
Jack Posobiec
Jack Posobiec, a conspiracy theory proponent and former One America News Network correspondent, continues to cultivate a platform that connects LGBTQ+ advocacy with broader narratives of social decline and moral crisis. As one of the earliest alt-right media personalities, his continued visibility highlights how the far-right media ecosystem continues to target queer communities.
Michael Knowles
YouTube/Richard Nixon Foundation
Daily Wire host Michael Knowles made headlines in 2023 when he declared at a major conservative conference that “transgenderism must be completely eradicated from public life.” His continued commentary, lectures, and media appearances continue to amplify anti-LGBTQ+ viewpoints.
Brandon Straka
Brandon Straka, a gay man who founded the #WalkAway campaign and participated in the January 6 riot, has returned to right-wing activism after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges. He has positioned his movement as one that will “save” gay Americans from liberal ideology, using anti-LGBTQ+ framing as part of a broader culture war message within pro-Trump circles.
Source: Advocate.com – www.advocate.com
