Misogynoir, a specific form of misogyny directed toward Black women, is an amalgam of anti-Black racism and sexism so insidious in its spread that many people can’t even distinguish its presence. Misogynoir can look like a lot of things. It has a chameleon-like quality in that it to blends into everyday situations and unprecedented events alike. But one of the clearest examples of this phenomenon is the internet’s reaction to the Tory Lanez shooting case. New claims from Lanez’ defense team have brought forward a claim that it was actually Megan Thee Stallion‘s former friend, Kelsey Harris, who shot Megan and not Lanez. These unsubstantiated claims, which come from Harris’ former bodyguard, have reopened the gates of unbridled misogynoir, which was first unleashed on Megan after the shooting in July 2020.

Misogynistic dog whistles

As soon as these claims hit the internet, it was like a dog whistle rang out for all incels, abusers, misognyists and general women-haters to congregate and spew the most backward and reductive takes. A number of male celebrities posted a Change.org petition calling for the release of Lanez — including Drake (who also dissed Megan on “Circo Loco”), A-Boogie, Joyner Lucas and Trippie Redd. Chris Brown also shared a Free Tory! post via Instagram. Ironically, the next day, he was arrested in Manchester for grievous bodily harm.

It’s not just the rich and socially disgraced that are defending Lanez, though. After the claims from Lanez’s team hit the net, my Instagram was flooded with notes to the tune of “I knew it” and “Free that man.” I’ve never hit the block button so fast in my life. These chauvinistic proclamations were accompanied by a slew of posts on TikTok explaining why Lanez should be freed.

It was as if these claims, which came from a person who wasn’t reported at the scene of the crime, ventilated misogynists everywhere, allowing them to exhale all of the hatred they’ve been harboring toward Megan and Black women in general. They couldn’t wait to unleash their fury, claiming that Lanez’s prosecution was an attempt to takedown the Black man. This same rhetoric rears its ugly head every time a Black man is held accountable for their harmful and abusive behavior toward Black women. (Think “Bill Cosby was about to buy NBC”-type posts.)

Binary thinking and the plight of Black women

It’s interesting because the claims from the supposed bodyguard haven’t been legally substantiated, and there is no record of the call, yet so many people made it their business to publicly bash Megan, even after Lanez has made it his business to mock her, including cutting a butchered horse leg in his “CAP” music video.