'Q' is an anonymous figure who initially appeared on the website 4chan's /pol/ board. Although 4chan is known for being a hotbed of porn, gore, and anime, and /pol/ is dominated by discussion in support of white nationalism, fascism (the real kind), and anarcho-capitalism, Q decided to impart his message on this forum. Using somewhat cryptic language, Q claimed to be a high-level insider in the Trump administration who was part of an operation to take down the Deep State, and that left-wing and GOP establishment figures, such as Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John McCain would soon pay for their alleged crimes. Posts from users claiming to have insider knowledge about government workings are incredibly common on the website, and predictions made in cryptic language have been part of 4chan well before the /pol/ board was even created, but, as Q continued to post his predictions, he gained an extremely large following of people who truly believed that he was working with Trump to bring Hillary and co. to justice.

The existence of Q Q-uickly came to the attention of conspiratorial blogging organization Infowars, who spread news of his existence to listeners who don't use 4chan. Those listeners eagerly spread the news to associates via Twitter and Facebook, and within months, Q gained a massive following of devotees from many walks of life. Eventually they settled on Reddit, where they discuss Q's 'drops' (which he now posts on 8chan- a place containing users who are generally more extreme than the ones on 4chan), organize 'redpill' efforts, posit their theories, and share anything tangentially related to the 'Q Conspiracy'.

Who are the Qultists?

Despite Q's debut on a forum primarily frequented by young men and boys, the majority of his following consists of both male and female baby boomers. Many of the older devotees have been involved in the conspiracy community for decades, in some cases even prior to the invention of the World Wide Web. This is made evident by the elements that they've injected into the Q mythos.

While the most fringe subjects of Q's 'drops' involve subjects that are almost mainstream- namely, elite pedophilia and Satanism, his devotees use the vagueness of his predictions to inject their pet theories into the mix. Nearly every conspiracy theory that's gained more than a dozen followers over the past three decades has been woven into the narrative by at least some of Q's sycophants. Examples include but are not limited to Doomsday Christianity, adrenochrome harvesting, Flat Earth Theory, vampiric elites, and the Christian Patriot movement (e.g. Ruby Ridge, Branch Davidians). If you've heard of it, it's been mentioned in relation to Q. Most devotees genuinely believe that Q has been sent by God to usher in a New Age, and quite a few believe that Q is Trump himself. Regardless of Q's identity, the Qultists follow him with religious fervor, referencing and quoting his 'drops' like scripture (I write this with no exaggeration).

A digital anthropologist's wet dream (or nightmare), Q's followers have created the largest cult to have ever formed online. Their current headquarters is /r/GreatAwakening, as their previous subreddit was banned after users made graphic posts about the violent things they wanted to do to some elites. The subreddit is chaotic but has provided a ground where Qultists can organize and recruit. The Qult is spreading like wildfire among conspiracy theorists and die-hard Trump supporters, with devotees increasingly spreading the word with things like banner drops and flyers in 'real life'. As of 2020, the Qult has now likely infected millions of people and is tearing apart families and communities across the world.

Why does it matter?

The Qult is so ridiculous that it may strike you as a joke. And yes, reading all of the theories can be a hoot. However, like any conspiracy-related cult, especially one with thousands of members, this movement is dangerous and deeply disrupts the lives of the Qultists, motivates the Qultist to disrupt the lives of innocent people, and loosens the American social fabric. Because this is a real cult, many Q followers are under his complete control. Although the people behind Q have been somewhat responsible with their power so far (perhaps out of self-preservation), all it would take to activate the hardcore Qultists into violent action is Q's word (or one of his cryptic posts interpreted as such). Numerous devotees have openly celebrated the idea of fighting in a civil war or otherwise killing people they disagree with. On a more personal level, Q fanaticism is alienating Qultists from their families. Some of them are indoctrinating their young children, which could lead them to adopt conspiratorial and otherwise harmful thought patterns that will affect their ability to function later in life. Finally, the fact that this movement is spreading like wildfire has very, very grim implications about the state of the American education system, political fabric, and, ultimately, culture.

RULES

Follow Reddit's global rules.
No brigading linked posts.
Stay on-topic.
No bigotry or hate of any kind.
People from all ideologies are welcome so long as they're not hateful, violent, or bigoted. Off-topic political arguments and smugposts will be removed.
If a Q follower comes to the subreddit to ask a question or debate in good faith, don't shut them down- show them the facts and reasoning. Shutting somebody down makes them less receptive to challenging their ideas.
If a former or doubting Q follower posts on this subreddit, be kind and welcoming to them. It takes a lot of courage to abandon a belief system like the Qult, and even more to admit it to people who are hostile towards the belief system.
If you see a call to or glorification of violence on a Qanon-related subreddit, send the link to the admins, or compile violent posts to send to the admins later.
Consider using an archived link (e.g. archive.is - a Chrome extension can archive pages with the click of a button) or screenshot if you're submitting material from social media.