Prolier than thou: Lefties compare socialist street cred with #LeftyAncestors

March 18, 2015

http://twitter.com/#!/MarrsioFootball/status/229909658104643585

Twitter users whipped out their left-wing family trees today to see who had the biggest, baddest #LeftyAncestors.

#leftyancestors is people sharing stories about radical family members. started by @OwenJones84, it's amazing social history

— Quentin Lewis (@quentinlewis) July 30, 2012

Left-wing author and columnist Owen Jones got the ball rolling with a proud tale of his heroic socialist great-grandfather.

Bizarrely found my great-granddad, a socialist railway worker, mentioned in a book. "He once refused to stand for the National Anthem." Hero

— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) July 30, 2012

Not to be outdone, others jumped in with tweets celebrating their left-wing heritage and boasting about just how red their diapers were.

I'm from ordinary poor working class stock.Both grandfathers died young as a result of industrial diseases; does that count? #leftyancestors

— Flaming June (@junrussell) July 30, 2012

Cool trending topic: #leftyancestors My great-great-uncle Henry Johnson was a Marxist historian who helped found Roosevelt University.

— Emily (@gregorette) July 30, 2012

My mum kicked a policeman in the 60s #leftyancestors

— Kirsty Var (@KirstyYarr) July 30, 2012

My Mum was buried with a figurine of Castro #leftyancestors

— Maria Barrett (@MariaBarrett) July 30, 2012

Wait, but we thought inheriting was a bad thing. So, it’s cool to inherit a political opinion, just not money or property? Gotcha.

One left-wing Twitter user knew what would come next.

As a lefty, I have to say the whole #leftyancestors is a bit embarrassing. If the right was at it, we'd have a field day.

— @fbermingham (@fbermingham) July 30, 2012

Indeed:

#leftyancestors really? You’re about an inch away from becoming belibers

— hand_of_Ike (@hand_of_Ike) July 30, 2012

#leftyancestors my lefty ancestors came up with a system of universal fairness that ended up killing 100 million people

— The People's Cube (@ThePeoplesCube) July 30, 2012

Anyone related to Che Guevara, executor without trial and star of a million hippy t-shirts? #leftyancestors

— jason_manc (@jason_manc) July 30, 2012

Some lefties without their “fair share” of pristine left-wing heritage were critical of the hashtag.

Yes, and that's fair enough, but what about those with no #leftyancestors? Where are we in this story? @MissEllieMae @OwenJones84

— Laurie Penny (@PennyRed) July 30, 2012

What I'm genuinely wondering is: where do queer histories fit into #leftyancestors stories? Queer/feminist left vs traditional family ideas?

— Laurie Penny (@PennyRed) July 30, 2012

Don't have any #leftyancestors as far as I know, but inhearitance is a very right wing concept so it suits me fine.

— Rory Tregaskis (@RoTreg) July 30, 2012

.@petakennedy Um, what about those of us who are left but don't have #leftyancestors? I like the stories don't get me wrong. But why left?

— Sophie Warnes (@SophieWarnes) July 30, 2012

Time to spread the #LeftyAncestors around?

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