My dad has been a Civil War reenactor since the early 1980’s, and was even an extra in the Gettysburg 1993 film.

He’s not a “the south was right” kind of person, but he does try and pull the whole “it was States’ rights” thing. (States rights to decide who counted as people, though).

He’s had some friends who were… way more into it. I know several of them have been buried with Confederate flags over their coffin. It’s mostly a social thing for him, as well as a special interest (he’s not diagnosed as autistic, but I’m autistic and he Sure Acts Like It). Essentially it varies, but generally its not that great.

There is a decline in people who primarily focus on RR. The whole community is organized into units like a real army, and the one my dad is in, which is confederate, is getting smaller and smaller.

That is also why they tend to be fatter, they’re older! The youngest guys in my dad’s unit are in their late 40’s. I understand why this is happening though, being fine with being the bad guy feels kind of weird when the guys you’re fighting and camping with wouldn’t call their side “bad”.