Thread by @ariehkovler

There's an odd history of early 20th Century feminist pioneers becoming leaders in the fascist movement. Violette Morris is one example.

Rotha Lintorn-Orman founded the British Fascists in 1923, which was Britain's first fascist movement. Mosley's British Union of Fascists was formed partly by breakaway elements from her group

Suffragette Mary Richardson famously slashed Diego Velázquez's painting, the Rokeby Venus, to draw attention to women's right to vote. She became organiser for the Women's Section of the British Union of Fascists.

Norah Elam was general-secretary of the Women's Social and Political Union. Jailed for suffragette activities in 1914, she went on hunger strike. She became a leader in the BUF and was interned during WWII.

Mary Allen would probably considered trans by today's standards, going by the name Robert. Allen was imprisoned for pro-suffrage vandalism and later was a leader in women's policing. Allen met Hitler in Germany in 1934, praising him, and was suspected of being a Nazi spy.

It's interesting how these people were politically progressive leaders who campaigned for equality for women in the 1910s-20s, and were often openly gay or trans, but then became literal fascists in the 1930s. Lots of books on why, none of them very convincing.