Global Polarization: The New Cold War around Queer Rights

Drawing on my recent co-authored book, Queer Wars [Polity] this paper updates the ongoing global conflicts around recognition of SOGI rights, and explores the apparent polarization between governments which claim LGBTI rights are human rights, and those who oppose this move in the name of protecting culture and tradition. [This abstract is written before the 2016 US Presidential elections, which will have a major impact on these debates.] Why has [homo]sexuality become so central an object of dispute in international fora, and what are the most effective responses of those who wish to defend SOGI rights in states where religious and political institutions support ongoing persecution and discrimination?