„The 14th of January was our first pride“: Tunisian queer politics at the intersections of revolution and counter-revolution

The contribution discusses the sexual politics of the Tunisian (post)revolution. It draws on interviews and conversations with queer activists in the country and links them to the sociopolitical transformations after 2011. In the aftermath of the Tunisian revolution, the opening of civil society allowed for the development of several queer organizations that aim at tackling the taboo of homosexuality and transphobia in politics and society, create safer spaces for empowerment, and rally for a decriminalization of homosexuality, which is banned under the colonial criminal law §230. Thanks to the work of civil society activism “Tunisia rocks the taboo of LGBTQ+ rights” (Bajec, 2018). Under the government of Beji Said Essebsi, the installment of the “commission des libertés individuelles et de l'égalité” (COLIBE) even opened the space for a conversation on the decriminalization of homosexuality. With the election campaign of 2019, queer politics finally became an axis of voters mobilization – in all directions. Onto the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, queer politics seemed on a streak of progress. However, currently many wins seem at stake. With the proposal of a new transparency law for NGOs, critical civil society organizations fear for their existence. The law poses foreign funding under high hurdles, considering it a potential threat through foreign interference in national issues. This has particular consequences for queer communities as they are confronted with a dilemma: Foreign funding allows NGOs to work on the one hand, while on the other hand it contributes to the vulnerability of a tabooed community. The contribution reflects on the dilemmas of contemporary queer politics in Tunisia between tabooization and emancipation. Asking for queer political agencies within the revolution and its aftermath, the contribution critically interrogates the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion, liberation and precariousness of queer people in the Tunisian polis. It will argue, that the establishment of a queer feminist civil society sphere is a central achievement of the (post)revolution. Therefore, the current authoritarian turn as implemented by under Kais Saied, must also be evaluated along its sexual politics. Queer people are increasingly under threat, which is at direct effect of authoritarian politics.