Calvin Robinson, a far-right political commentator and former games journalist, has had his priesthood revoked and lost his entire editorial team at the gaming website God is a Geek after making a gesture widely interpreted as an imitation of a Nazi salute.
Robinson, who founded God is a Geek and remains its owner, was a priest in the Anglican Catholic Church (ACC) until Wednesday when the Church revoked his status over behaviour it deemed “incompatible with a priestly vocation.” The following day, the entire editorial team of God is a Geek resigned in protest.
Calvin Robinson, a far-right commentator and UKIP spokesperson, has been stripped of his priesthood by the Anglican Catholic Church after mimicking a Nazi salute.
— British Pakistani Index (@PakistaniIndex) January 31, 2025
The entire editorial staff of his gaming website, God is a Geek, also resigned in protest.#CalvinRobinson pic.twitter.com/bueFbVr45q
The controversy erupted after Robinson ended an anti-abortion speech on January 25 with a gesture resembling the infamous salutes made by Elon Musk during his Inauguration Day appearance earlier this month. As he tapped his chest and raised his right arm, Robinson repeated Musk’s phrase, “my heart goes out to you,” before posting the clip on X (formerly Twitter). The move was met with both laughter and applause from his audience.
The ACC issued a statement explaining that Robinson had been previously warned about engaging in political provocations and trolling behaviour, particularly those that could be interpreted as extremist. The statement acknowledged that while it could not determine Robinson’s intent, his actions appeared to be an attempt to provoke political opposition and appeal to certain elements of the American right.
“While we cannot say what was in Mr. Robinson’s heart when he did this, his action appears to have been an attempt to curry favour with certain elements of the American political right by provoking its opposition,” the Church’s statement read. “Mr. Robinson had been warned that online trolling and other such actions (whether in service of the left or right) are incompatible with a priestly vocation and was told to desist. Clearly, he has not, and as such, his license in this Church has been revoked.”
The editorial team of God is a Geek announced its resignation the following day, stating that the site had been operating independently of Robinson for several years. In a public statement, the editors made clear that they did not support Robinson’s political views or actions.
“To be absolutely clear, we do not support, share, or condone Calvin Robinson’s politics or actions,” the editors wrote, adding that they had continued working for the site despite their opposition to Robinson’s politics because they were dedicated to the platform they had helped build.
Robinson has defended himself on X, insisting that his actions were misinterpreted.
“The joke at the end was a mockery of the hysterical ‘liberals’ who called Elon Musk a Nazi for quite clearly showing the audience his heart was with them,” he wrote. “Context is key, but sometimes people ignore context to confirm their own prejudices.”
The ACC rejected Robinson’s explanation, stating that even if done as a joke or trolling attempt, mimicking a Nazi salute was “harmful, divisive, and contrary to the tenets of Christian charity.”
Robinson was previously active in the gaming industry, serving as executive editor of God is a Geek from 2009 to 2016 and contributing to the site as recently as 2019 with a Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order preview. He also lists past experience as a content creator on Disney’s Yogscast YouTube channel and a judge for various gaming industry awards.
However, in recent years, Robinson has shifted his focus to far-right politics. He is currently the lead spokesperson for the UK Independence Party (UKIP), a position he has used to advocate for socially conservative policies and criticise mainstream media.
Robinson’s political views were also reflected in his online activity, where he followed and engaged with far-right figures such as Tommy Robinson, Radio Genoa, and RAIR Foundation USA. He previously participated in an interview with Amy Mek, a far-right blogger known for promoting Islamophobic conspiracy theories. Robinson’s alignment with far-right ideology has been a source of controversy for years, with his critics accusing him of using inflammatory rhetoric to gain political influence.
The former God is a Geek editorial team has announced plans to launch a new publication, stating that they intend to continue producing content that is “fair, inclusive, and entertaining” under a different banner.
“Whatever the future holds, we will be working together to bring content that is fair, inclusive, and entertaining—as we always have,” the team wrote. “But we will be doing it under a new banner, and we hope that some of you will come with us on the new journey.”
