The manifesto linked to the recent Montreal shooting reflects a blend of misogynistic incel ideology, Marxist critique, and a distorted view of monogamy’s historical role. It shares the common incel narrative blaming feminists and socially dominant “elite males” for the exclusion of “common men” from romantic and sexual relationships, while asserting that capitalism entrenched a gendered social hierarchy favoring these elite men. The manifesto also argues that women’s financial independence in the modern era has disrupted traditional monogamous norms.

A central claim in the manifesto is that monogamy has been the prevailing social and sexual structure since prehistoric times, persisting through antiquity, the Middle Ages, and into modern capitalist society until challenged in the 20th century. However, this perspective overlooks the critical role of Christianity in establishing and reinforcing monogamy as a foundational social institution. Rather than being an ancient or universal practice, monogamy is rooted in early Christian teachings, where marriage was conceived as a voluntary, lifelong, and exclusive commitment between a man and a woman.

Following the decline of the Roman Empire, two distinct social-sexual models emerged: one shaped by Christian doctrine and the other by the “barbarian” peoples who assumed political power in Western Europe. Early Christian texts, including teachings attributed to Jesus, emphasized indissoluble monogamous marriage. This stood in contrast to Roman customs, which allowed divorce and men’s sexual access to concubines and slaves. The “barbarians” maintained more chaotic sexual practices, including polygamy, serial marriages, and other behaviors at odds with Christian monogamy. The Christian church worked over centuries to embed monogamous marriage as both a sacrament and a social norm.

The manifesto further asserts that “hypergamy” replaced monogamy in the 20th century, defining the term as women freely engaging with multiple attractive men instead of adhering to exclusive pairings. This shift is linked to the decline of Christian influence and the rise of women’s economic independence in postindustrial society, which afforded them more sexual and relational freedom. The manifesto frames this as a source of grievance for men it labels “common,” whose inability to compete results in incel anger.

Experts caution that the ideas within the manifesto resonate beyond the incel fringe and overlap with a broader regressive, anti-feminist ideology gaining traction among some prominent conservative figures. This ideology advocates a return to traditional gender roles, urging women to withdraw from public life to focus on home and family. Supporters of this perspective include high-profile political leaders such as U.S. Vice-President JD Vance and influential religious figures linked to the U.S. Department of Defense. These views have contributed to efforts rolling back women’s rights, including restrictions on abortion and calls to rescind women's suffrage.

Ultimately, the enforced monogamy promoted in the Montreal manifesto is historically inaccurate, stripping the institution from its origins in Christian faith and repurposing it to justify misogynistic grievances. Yet the regressive ideology it echoes, supported by some mainstream conservative leaders, may pose a broader and more persistent threat to women’s rights and social equality.