Proud Boys forced to give up their name after rights awarded to Black church: “This is how you win—defeating them on all fronts, including the courts.”
On Monday, a judge ruled that the Proud Boys no longer own their name, granting the rights instead to a Black church in Washington, D.C.
Judge Tanya Jones Bosier of the D.C. Superior Court ruled that the far-right group’s trademark now belongs to the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church.
The decision follows a 2020 incident in which former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and other members vandalized the church during a rally for then-President Donald Trump.
Members of the group trespassed onto , jumping a fence to burn a Black Lives Matter banner.
The loss of the trademark follows a 2023 ruling in which the church secured a $2.8 million default judgment against the far-right group—a sum the organization ultimately failed to pay.
As a result, the Proud Boys can no longer use their own name or symbols without the church’s permission. The church also has the right to seize any profits made from merchandise sales.
In response, Enrique Tarrio—who, along with other Proud Boys, was pardoned by Trump earlier this month for sedition charges related to the attempted overthrow of the 2020 election—called for Judge Bosier’s impeachment and for the church to lose its tax-exempt status.
Online, however, the ruling was widely celebrated.
“This is how you win—defeating them on all fronts, including the courts,” wrote X user Samuel Gerbu. “The Proud Boys, a terrorist organization, can no longer legally use their own name. The trademark now belongs to the Black church in D.C. that they attacked. Poetic justice.”
Reactions on Bluesky echoed similar sentiments.
“I propose that the church launch a line of children’s clothing and stuffed animals—all pink, rainbows, and Care Bear-themed—featuring the words ‘PROUD BOYS’ on each,” historian Kevin M. Kruse wrote.
The news has largely been met with silence from Proud Boys supporters, who have not made much of a public response. However, a small number of members on X took advantage of the situation to post racist comments, continuing their pattern of hostility.
Despite the recent pardons granted by former President Trump, which included members of the group involved in the January 6th attack, the long-term future of the Proud Boys remains unclear. With the loss of their trademark and the growing legal challenges they face, the group’s ability to continue operating as they once did is in serious question. The uncertain landscape leaves their future activities and influence in doubt, and many are watching closely to see how they will adapt or whether they will fade into irrelevance.
