The shape and evolution of anti-genderism as a transnational discourse alliance: Evidence from Twitter

In recent years, anti-gender movements opposing women’s and LGBTIQ+ rights have been on the rise, often using a distinct rhetoric that defames these rights as "gender ideology" (Kuhar/Paternotte 2017). This phenomenon has been conceptualized as a "discourse alliance" (Roth/Sauer 2022), effectively bringing together diverse far-right, religious fundamentalist, and social conservative actors, transcending national boundaries. This study explores the empirical manifestations of this theoretical conceptualization. To accomplish this, I examine ten years of Twitter communication from 148 organizations associated with the anti-gender movement in five European countries: Croatia, Germany, France, Italy, and Poland. Mutual hashtag usage serves as a proxy for identifying shared discourses within this transnational alliance. Employing discourse network analysis, I unveil the similarities among these actors and demonstrate the discourses that connect them, while also tracking how this connectivity has evolved over time. This study sheds light on the interconnectedness and evolution of anti-gender discourse across borders, providing valuable insights into the mechanisms driving this global phenomenon.