Strategic Antigenderism on the Far Right: Homonationalism, Trans Panic, and Cis-Heteronormative ‘Pride Month’ in Germany

Far-right political parties across the Global North mobilise on the issue of ‘gender’ in contradictory ways: While many fashion themselves as liberal defenders of native homosexuals, they also agitate against ‘gender ideology’ and the ‘trans lobby’. Against this backdrop, this chapter asks how far-right parties make sense of non-heteronormative forms of gender identity and sexuality. Drawing from the case of the ‘Alternative for Germany’ (AfD), an important actor within the European far-right scene, it shows how politicians strategically negotiate gender identity and sexuality through the notion of cis-heteronormativity. The chapter makes two contributions: Conceptually, it develops a tripartite analytical framework based on the concepts of homonationalism, trans panic, and cis-heteronormativity. Integrated within the umbrella concept of ‘strategic antigenderism’, this framework captures the far right’s strategic appeal to native homosexuals, their simultaneous vilification of trans people, and the cis-heteronormative counter-proposal to queer pride. Methodologically, the chapter draws from the qualitative-interpretive analysis of three meaning-making projects conducted by AfD in June 2023: an online discussion of homosexuality, a demonstration against a drag story hour, and a social media campaign offering an ‘alternative’ to queer pride month.