Feminist and Queer Reactions to Anti-Gender Politics: Successful Strategies of Resistance and Progressive Transformation

Abstract

Across Europe, anti-gender movements have become a defining feature of contemporary illiberal politics, targeting feminist, LGBTQ+, and minoritized communities under the banner of opposition to so-called “gender ideology.” While much scholarship has analyzed the rise and transnational diffusion of anti-gender mobilizations, less attention has been devoted to the strategies of resistance and progressive counter-mobilization that have emerged in response. This panel explores how feminist and queer actors across diverse European contexts have opposed anti-gender initiatives and/or transformed moments of backlash into opportunities for democratic renewal and policy innovation. Bringing together interdisciplinary and cross-national perspectives, the panel examines case studies from Italy, Poland, Slovenia and Spain. Collectively, the papers investigate the mechanisms through which feminist and trans-inclusive coalitions have secured policy gains, sustained academic freedom, and/or reframed public debate on gender and equality. Specific strategies discussed include: (1) the use of legal and constitutional frameworks to challenge discriminatory laws and “LGBT-free zones”; (2) the formation of broad-based coalitions linking feminist, queer, labour, and human-rights movements; (3) the deployment of research and evidence as tools of counter-narration against pseudo-scientific claims; and (4) the re-articulation of gender equality as a democratic and human-rights issue rather than a cultural or moral question. By foregrounding agency, creativity, and resilience, this panel moves beyond narratives of reaction to illuminate the generative dimensions of feminist resistance. It contributes both empirically and theoretically to debates on gender and politics, social-movement theory, and democratic resilience. In a time of intensifying epistemic and institutional attacks on equality, the panel highlights how feminist actors reassert the democratic promise of Europe through practices of solidarity, knowledge production, and inclusive policy reform. This anti-gender politics is still going strong, the goal is not to celebrate the victory of feminist and queer movements or downplaying the danger of anti-gender actors. Still, it is worth to focus on successful cases of opposition to anti-gender and anti-democratic initiatives, and learn from them.

Title	Details
Resisting Exclusion — Strategies of Opposition to “LGBTQ-Free Zones” in Poland	View Paper Details
Feminist democratic innovations in feminist movement and institutional responses to anti-gender politics in Spain	View Paper Details
Societal Democratization from Below: Feminist Movements and Anti-Gender Regimes in Italy	View Paper Details
Anti-gender Mobilization and Transformative Political Opportunities: The Slovenian Path to Marriage Equality	View Paper Details