I agree with a lot of what secret squirrel said.
Specifically, that the internet amplifies fringe views because even the tiniest minority now has a platform, which is sometimes a bad thing (flatearthers on youtube) and sometimes a good thing (people with rare diseases finding each other and pooling experience). And also that mainstream views are getting more pushback from other viewpoints, which can also be a good thing if the pushing slowly shifts those 'majority' views to become more inclusive - which is what I was thinking of with the consensus comment. If you want to change things, the more moderate, middle-of-the-road people you can get to agree with you the better.
I don't think, even if you wanted to do such a thing, it's possible to build consensus with extreme views like those of the alt right, because their views are actively harmful and most people can see that. The danger with the alt right is, like the danger of any extreme position, not that a consensus will form around it, but it shifts the Overton window, the range of acceptable views. That's much harder to prevent, I think.
Although one of my concerns with cancel culture is that if it comes over as an over-reaction, it rubs that mass of ordinary people the wrong way, and they will then dig their heels in and stop listening to you when those are the very people you need to reach to change attitudes.
sTeamTraen wrote:"Well, I know that you think that X is a bigot for saying Y, but while I might not believe in Y myself, I think that holding position Y is at least within the sphere of reasonable discourse".
That's exactly how I feel about women raising concerns about how to allow transgender access to traditionally male-free spaces. To me, it's a non-issue. If all the bathrooms in the UK became unisex tomorrow, I wouldn't give a monkey's. But then, the only times I've been assaulted (very minorly) have been by women and it seems perfectly reasonable that women who have been seriously assaulted by men might feel differently, might want male-free spaces, and be worried about predatory men accessing them -- however unlikely it is, however little protection having male/female on a door actually gives you anyway. I don't think labelling that concern as, say, transphobic would be helpful, or necessarily accurate. Far better to counter it with reassurance and some evidence on true risks, surely.