From Protest to Policy (and Back Again?): Towards an Integrated Framework on LGBTQ+ Advocacy

This paper introduces a novel integrated framework for analyzing LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, addressing a critical gap in existing literature that separates social movements from interest groups. By conceptualizing advocacy along a continuum, ranging from survival to professionalized modes, the framework captures how organizations adapt to varying levels of political hostility. Drawing on global case studies, it demonstrates how LGBTQ+ groups strategically shift tactics in response to repression, resource constraints, and transnational dynamics. The paper's key contribution lies in unifying insights from social movement theory, interest group research, and queer studies into a flexible, empirically grounded model. This continuum challenges static categorizations and highlights the agency and resilience of LGBTQ+ organizations under pressure. It emphasizes the need for adaptability in the face of rising global hostility and provides a tool for both scholars and practitioners to understand and support resilient LGBTQ+ advocacy.