Prominent neo-Nazi quits far-right movement as he comes out as gay

A leading neo-Nazi and former National Front organiser has publicly denounced the group after coming out as gay.

Kevin Wilshaw has spent over 40 years working for white supremacist groups and was a high-profile figure in the National Front during the 1980s.

The 58-year-old was still speaking at extremist events this year and was arrested for spewing race hate online in March before deciding to leave the group.

Speaking to Channel 4 News, Wilshaw revealed he decided to quit the far-right movement after receiving abuse from inside the group for his sexuality.

He said: “It’s a terribly selfish thing to say but it’s true, I saw people being abused, shouted at, spat at in the street – it’s not until it’s directed at you that you suddenly realise that what you’re doing is wrong.”

Wilshaw stated there are other members leading the National Front that are “overtly gay”, saying: “And anybody could see the contradiction of it that you have an overtly gay person leading a homophobic organisation, makes no sense.”

He confessed to smashing a chair over someone’s head during a by-election in Leeds, but denies ever assaulting someone to cause them harm.

“I’d never do that, but I have seen incidents where people were singled out because they were black by a group of people. It turned my stomach, I rejected that, I pushed it to the back of my mind.”

Wilshaw claimed to have joined the far-right movement because he “didn’t have any friends” and wanted to be a member of a group that “had an aim.” But he admits that it was a “contradiction” for a gay person with a Jewish background to be part of the homophobic far-right movement.

Despite having a Jewish mother, Wilshaw recalls how he had written about his hatred of “the Jews” and now feels “guilty” over his past. He wants to help fight racism and “hurt extremists” but fears revenge from the far-right movement for his “betrayal.”

He said: “I feel appallingly guilty as well, I really do feel guilty, not only that, this is also a barrier to me having a relationship with my own family, and I want to get rid of it, it’s too much of a weight.”

“I want to do some damage as well, not to ordinary people but the people who are propagating this kind of rubbish – want to hurt them, show what it’s like for those who are living a lie and be on the receiving end of this type of propaganda, I want to hurt them.”

You can watch his interview below:

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