Saving Our Gays: An Anthropological Perspective on Homotolerance in the Western European Far Right

Right-wing populist parties in Western Europe are increasingly beginning to appear as defenders of liberal “Western values.” Thus, some of them are advocating for the acceptance of homosexuality, which according to them is a matter for their “tolerant peoples.” This discourse constitutes an historical shift since homosexuals as “Others” have traditionally been understood as a threat to the nation, and therefore attacked by the far right rather than courted. At the same time, it can be observed that the rhetoric of “gay-friendliness” as a “Western value” goes hand in hand with (anti-Muslim) racism: Homophobia is seen as a problem in Europe because—such goes the argument—there are too many Muslims there. I am going to look at this phenomenon from an anthropological perspective: how is tolerance of homosexuals discussed, discursively justified, and integrated into nationalist self-images by right-wing populist parties in Western Europe? I do not ask if right-wing populists are gay-friendly or not, but rather what the discourses and practices are, owing to which they can understand themselves as gay-friendly. In other words: how does neo-national- ism, according to the logic of right-wing populists, become a nationalism that is, at least in principle, open for gays and lesbians, as opposed to traditional forms of nationalism? The start- ing point of my approach is the premise that the notion of “tolerance” has become an integral element of symbolic understandings of Europe, especially with its materialisation through anti- discrimination policy. My analysis will point out the effects this imperative for tolerance has had on contemporary Western European nationalisms on the basis of the example of homotol- erance.