The Story Of Faith Goldy: How A Girl Can Turn Extreme Right From Left-Wing

How does one become a white nationalist? The stereotype is that of a bitter, unpopular guy who cannot find a good place for himself in a modern world, and who feels threatened by trends like diversity. What one doesn't imagine is a former high-school popular girl, and an outspoken feminist, who openly espoused left-wing ideas. What would make someone like that turn around so completely?

The Cut writer who went to school with Faith Goldy returns to Toronto to reconstruct the story of Goldy. She talks to her old classmates and colleagues and gets different ideas about why Goldy changed. Some think that she was simply craving attention by being a rebel. Others think that she was vulnerable to the radical ideas from the start. It's impossible to find a perfect answer to a question like this, especially if the subject doesn't want to open up about it. But it is worth listening to portraits like that to see the appeal of extremist ideologies, and to show that nobody is bullet-proof.