When New York Post reporter Laura Italiano tweeted this week she was resigning because of an inaccurate article she was allegedly asked to write about Vice-president Kamala Harris, angry Harris supporters swarmed her. “I think I missed your apology to the vice-president,” one person commented on her tweet. Italiano was experiencing the sting of the so-called “KHive” – Harris’ fiercely loyal online fan group that has been celebrating as well as defending the vice-president ever since she became California’s senator in 2017. The fabulous teen life of Kai Trump, Donald Jr.’s daughter “She broke so many barriers as a black, South Asian woman,” KHive member Lecia Michelle from New Orleans told us. “So we must be here to defend her for who she is as a biracial woman.” Even though the KHive is loosely organised – it has no leader, and it is unclear exactly how many members there are – the online group makes sure its presence is felt. Some of us do play a part in going back and forth with people. I don’t start stuff, but like, you’re not just going to bully me online either. It’s just what the internet is Chantay Berry, 34, KHive member Members are especially active on Twitter, marking their devotion to the vice-president by using the #KHive hashtag or adding yellow hearts and bee emojis to their profile descriptions. Sasha Obama the TikTok sensation I gasped 🤩😍 pic.twitter.com/JtTHhYnvvi — jen psaki’s hair tuck before she slays 😷🧼💛🐝 (@emiranda_writes) April 29, 2021 They share videos of the vice-president’s speeches, comment on the different outfits she’s wearing, and post selfies in yellow and purple merchandise with her name on it. They also organise virtual “cooking Sunday” parties and meet up on Zoom to watch major political events – most recently, they gathered online to watch President Joe Biden ’s first joint address to Congress together. The group is united in its celebration of the vice-president and amplifies the policies she promotes: KHive members speak out in favour of racial and gender equality as well as LGBTQ+ inclusion . They support the right to abortion and have applauded Harris on her carbon-neutral climate plan. Who’s the richest Shark Tank cast member? The KHive’s support was obvious in the run-up to the 2020 election when many members felt they had to act as defenders for Harris. As the first black and first South Asian woman to be nominated for vice-president by either major party, Harris was a primary target in Washington and often faced an onslaught of racist and misogynistic harassment. Members of the KHive say they have to be outspoken because of the historical significance of Harris’s position. Ivanka Trump’s most cringeworthy TV appearances Eric Chavous, the 31-year-old lawyer behind one of the most popular KHive accounts, @flywithkamala, told us: “She sits at the intersection of race and gender, which is the root cause of her unparalleled criticism. People are not used to seeing black people with a seat at the table, but definitely not black women.” “The KHive has to work around the clock to overcome stereotypes surrounding black women so that people can see the truth – that Kamala Harris has the experience and knowledge to lead the United States of America,” Chavous added. Chavous became a supporter of the vice-president in 2009 when he attended Howard University, Harris’s alma mater. The return of Britney Spears: How she’s finally reclaiming her life He was also one of the first people who helped coin the term “KHive” back in 2017, which is loosely modelled on Beyoncé’s equally fervent “Beyhive” (multiple KHive members also credited Twitter users Biana Delarosa and Elizabeth Blumberg for helping form the group). Since Chavous first tweeted the hashtag, it has taken on a life of its own. Harris herself has addressed the group on multiple occasions and her husband and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff even identifies as a member of the #KHive in his Twitter biography. 7 things we learned about Angelina Jolie in 2021 But some members of Harris’s digital army have also been accused of taking their loyalty too far. Last year, a Huffington Post investigation found nearly a dozen people who said they had been threatened or harassed by some self-identified members of the KHive. Multiple people have said their personal information had been published online after some fans instigated harassment campaigns against them for previously backing Democratic candidates other than Harris. One person claimed they were forced to temporarily move their family to a different location for fear they were in physical danger, while two women claimed that KHive members even made veiled threats toward their children. “People are ugly and disrespectful all over the internet. The KHive, in particular, simply wants to set the record straight,” Chavous said when asked about the allegations. Is Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter Ella Emhoff 2021’s hottest model? Chantay Berry, a 34-year-old graduate student at Brooklyn College and KHive member who has previously engaged in online arguments, admitted that the online world of politics can get toxic. “Some of us do play a part in going back and forth with people. I don’t start stuff, but like, you’re not just going to bully me online either. It’s just what the internet is,” Berry said. In the past, KHive members have specifically targeted people who criticise Harris’ record during her time as a prosecutor or have attacked her shift away from Bernie Sanders’ “Medicare for all” bill. Briahna Joy Gray, the press secretary for Sanders during the 2020 presidential primary, has accused the group of harassing her on multiple occasions. What’s living at the White House like for the president’s kids? “They’re vicious,” she told the Los Angeles Times last month. She did not respond to our request for comment. But the group also aggressively targets right-wing outlets, like the New York Post , who have spent the last few weeks frequently criticising Harris on multiple issues, including immigration. “I want to know from the right where the hell was that energy when Donald Trump basically wrecked everything in our country” Berry added. “We all know they’re only attacking her because they know she’s gonna be the president one day,” she added. Berry told us that the KHive has no plans to go anywhere, especially considering Harris’ increasing chances of becoming president in 2024. “I think that now that she’s in office, we’re still all stans, but now we’re all stans watching for the next four years, hoping that she becomes president,” she said. Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter . This article originally appeared on Business Insider .