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Vile texts to Australian influencer Karina Irby following US election

An Australian influencer has copped a barrage of vile sexism and hate following the election of Donald Trump in the United States.

Karina Irby on being bum shamed by an elderly woman (Hughsey, We Have a Problem)

An influencer has copped a barrage of vile sexism and hate following Donald Trump’s victory in the US election.

Karina Irby, a Gold Coast swimwear founder, took to Instagram on Friday and shared snaps of herself in green lace underwear showing off her body. Over the top were snippets of messages she’d got on the social media app.

She said it was a result of President-elect Mr Trump being voted into power over Democrat candidate Kamala Harris.

Karina Irby is an Australian influencer. Picture: TikTok/@karinairby
Karina Irby is an Australian influencer. Picture: TikTok/@karinairby

“The men are back in charge now, wh***,” one man wrote to the 34-year-old.

“Your body, our rules. Now be a polite woman and go make me a sandwich.”

“Your body, my choice” is a sweeping trend following the election. Thousands of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, are filled with the sentiment. It is being interpreted by women as a celebration of a loss of rights. Others see it as a threat.

Another man told Ms Irby: “Men will save the world while stupid women like you will destroy it with your abortions and menstrual cycle. F*** YOU.”

“You say you don’t want kids? Well don’t fall pregnant because Australia is about to learn the right way from us,” a third message read.

Ms Irby shared the messages to show how the US election has impacted women around the world. She said everyone was entitled to their own opinion. But, the “projection and pure anger” in these messages made her blood boil. She asked what a woman’s reproductive health and choices had to do with these men.

She said it doesn't feel safe to be a woman. Picture: Instagram/@karinairby
She said it doesn't feel safe to be a woman. Picture: Instagram/@karinairby
She shared pictures of hateful messages she got. Picture: Instagram/@karinairby
She shared pictures of hateful messages she got. Picture: Instagram/@karinairby

“The sexist mindset and foul language used by some of these people shows only a peek into the world of being a woman and copping this type of abuse,” she said.

“IT’S SCARY BEING A F*** WOMEN. And it’s 2024!? Not all Trump supporters are abusive, sexist pigs. But all abusive, sexist pigs are Trump supporters.”

Ms Irby has regularly been the target of hatred due to her content about body positivity. Earlier this year, she was shamed over her Taylor Swift outfit.

It’s very clear many women are feeling scared in the wake of the election. Google Trends revealed searches for the “4B Movement” skyrocketed following Wednesday’s result.

The 4B Movement is a radical feminist movement that sees women refuse to date, get married, have sex or have children with men. It originated in South Korea.

It was following the US election. Picture: Instagram/@karinairby
It was following the US election. Picture: Instagram/@karinairby

“This finally flipped a switch in me, I’m going full 4B Movement and I mean it” and “4B Movement is my answer” are among comments garnering thousands of likes on TikTok videos reacting to the election result.

One video of a young American woman crying, which encourages women to join the movement has been liked by more than 200,000 people and viewed 1.4 million times.

“If you thought you were involuntarily celibate before, wait until see you what women are like when they realise that having one of your babies could cost them their life,” one creator with more than 600,000 followers said in a video under the hashtag #4bmovement.

It follows fears that the new leadership could further limit the right to abortion. Roe v. Wade, a landmark decision that ruled the constitutional right to abortion in the US in 1973, was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2022, paving the way for states to ban abortions.

Originally published as Vile texts to Australian influencer Karina Irby following US election

Original URL: https://www.thechronicle.com.au/lifestyle/vile-texts-to-australian-influencer-karina-irby-following-us-election/news-story/cd7108cda56c3afbe1e3a5f6c72baeb3