Truth as a Victim: The challenge of anti-trafficking education in the age of Q

Author: Benton, Bond & Peterka-Benton, Daniela

Abstract: The QAnon conspiracy threatens anti-trafficking education because of its broad dissemination and focus on a range of myths about trafficking. These myths are rooted in historic and ongoing misinformation about abductions, exploitation, and community threats. This article examines the extent of QAnon’s co-optation of human trafficking discourses and evaluates its connection to trafficking myths, particularly related to gender, race, class, and agency. From this perspective, the article considers how anti-trafficking education can respond to these myths and build a pedagogy in the age of Q.

Keywords: QAnon, conspiracy theory, anti-trafficking education, trafficking myths