" I Left QAnon in 2019. But I'm Still Not Free."
Politico
I left QAnon back in 2019, but I dont seem to be able to walk away. I talk about my experience a lot to the Washington Post, CNN and Rolling Stone magazine among many others. I even apologized to Anderson Cooper on his show for having once thought that he ate babies.
Im one of the few former followers willing to go on the record with their story, which means Im a source for journalists and researchers and sometimes also a guide for former believers who want to talk to someone who understands what they went through. Im also one of the senior moderators of the QAnonCasualties forum on Reddit, a message board for family members of QAnon believers. I might have left, but I still have a close look into how the conspiracy theory is spreading and affecting people.
These days, QAnon isnt getting the headlines it was after Jan. 6. I guess most of the world doesnt pay attention to QAnon anymore unless its followers do something especially bizarre, like the recent gathering in Dallas where hundreds met in hopes of seeing John F. Kennedy Jr. alive. But from where I stand I dont see QAnon fading away I see it getting stronger.
I was sucked into QAnon in the winter of 2017. At the time, I casually followed various conspiracies online and the internet led me to Q. I was living in Australia, where I still live, but I had been interested in American politics since spending six months in the U.S. a few years before. I had rooted for Bernie Sanders during the 2016 primary and felt let down when he lost.