Move aside Millifans, the Mayllennials are here

A new internet fandom is growing in popularity, and this time it’s political.

Young millennial women who see Theresa May as a political and fashion icon have been dubbed “Mayllennials”. And they’ve been taking to social media in their droves to appreciate her style and political prowess.

As the name suggests, Mayllennials are millennials - people born between 1980 and 2000 - who are fans of Mrs May.

Blogs, Twitter and Instagram accounts have been set up in celebration of the Tory PM. One Instagram account called ‘It’s Gonna Be TMay’ - a pun on the popular N-Sync song “It’s Gonna Be Me” - posts daily memes, archive photos, and news coverage of her. The blog Political Style is dedicated to documenting every outfit she wears.

J is for jaunty hats! Theresa May has a fab collection from @lizfelixmillinery - find out more by clicking the link in my bio! #theresamayatoz #theresamay #theresamaystyle #conservative #millinery #hats #wedding #chic #primeminister

A post shared by Theresa May Style (@theresamaystyle) on May 13, 2017 at 9:38am PDT

Internet fandoms usually focus on boy bands and pop stars, but in the past few years political based fandoms have defied conventions and grown in popularity. First came the Millifandom in 2015, and then came the Corbynistas, and now the Mayllennials have risen.

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Speaking to Buzzfeed News, the 20-year-old woman behind the Instagram ‘It’s Gonna Be TMay’ said she admired Theresa May’s "ability to get the job done while still being able to loosen up sometimes". And said she felt “you may consider her the UK's Justin Trudeau.”

This meme is truly fitting to today's events. #GE2017 #jeremycorbyn #theresamay #tm4pm #votetory #voteconservative #itsgonnabemay #maysahead

A post shared by It's Gonna Be TMay (@itsgonnabetmay) on Apr 18, 2017 at 8:02am PDT

While both Mayllennials and Millifans are incredibly vocal in their support of their respective political idols, many Mayllenials prefer to remain anonymous.

Speaking to Buzzfeed News, one Mayllennial explained why this may be: "You'll notice [May]'s official social media pages get very little engagement from her supporters, and I think it's all for the same reasons — fear of negative responses and arguments starting as a result."

The rise of political fandoms are being welcomed as a postive move by many, particularly as young people are reported to be the most politically disengaged generation, and in 2010 just 44% of people aged 18– 24 voted in the General Election.

Whatever your political alliance, it’s clear that fandoms like the Mayllenials are helping some young people to become more politically engaged.

Move aside Millifans, the Mayllennials are here

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