What is Blue Anon? Urban Dictionary Restores Phrase For 'Left-Wing Conspiracy Theories'
By Ewan Palmer On 3/9/21 at 7:46 AM EST
https://www.newsweek.com/blue-anon-urban-dictionary-left-wing-hoaxes-1574733
"Blue Anon" is a term coined by conservatives attacking those who push "left-wing conspiracy theories." The phrase returned to the Urban Dictionary website after it appeared to have been temporarily removed.
"Blue Anon" has been used by a number of right-wing personalities in recent days, including political commentator Candace Owens and Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.
The phrase is a play on the name of the radical conspiracy theory QAnon, whose supporters believe that Donald Trump is secretly battling a cabal of satanic pedophiles. The group were among those who stormed the Capitol during the January 6 insurrection.
The term Blue Anon is used to attack those who push what the right refer to as "hoaxes," such as the investigation into Russian interference during the 2016 election and allegations that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted Christine Blasey Ford.
The phrase was so widely used that it saw an entry on Urban Dictionary—a website with user-generated content that lists popular slogans and slang.
The term was removed from the site over the weekend with no explanation.
Jack Posobiec, the far-right figurehead who helped spread the QAnon-linked "Pizzagate" conspiracy theory, was one of those who noticed Blue Anon had been removed.
"I have never even heard of a word being banned from Urban Dictionary before they banned Blue Anon," he tweeted on March 7. "And everyone knows they will list literally anything. Until now."
Other conservatives figures and websites such as The Daily Caller and The Post Millennial claimed it was another example of censorship against the right.
By Monday, the Blue Anon entry returned to Urban Dictionary. Users vote on the best definition for phrases, and currently the top definition with 625 votes described the phrase as a "loosely organized network of Democrat voters, politicians and media personalities who spread left-wing conspiracy theories such as the Russia Hoax, Jussie Smollett hoax, Ukraine hoax, Covington Kids hoax, and Brett Kavanaugh hoax."
The Blue Anon listing also describes its advocates as those who believe right-wing extremists are going to "storm Capitol Hill any day now and 'remove' lawmakers from office, hence the need for the deployment of thousands of National Guard stationed at the U.S. Capitol."
The description is an apparent reference to the fears that QAnon supporters were going to return to D.C. on March 4 believing that Trump would be inaugurated as president, which failed to take place as a number of influential figures of the movement distanced themselves from their latest prediction.
It is unclear why the Blue Anon term was removed from Urban Dictionary in the first place. In a blog post from September 2020, the site said it will not ban certain words, but will be updating their guidelines to consider certain submissions.
"Knowing an offensive word's meaning can combat inequality and abuse," the post said. "But there is a difference between using Urban Dictionary to document the meaning of an offensive word and using it to celebrate or endorse an offensive meaning."
Urban Dictionary has been contacted for comment.