"Patriots' Month instead of Pride Month" Right-wing extremist LGBTIQ hostility using the example of attacks on Drag Queen Story Hours in Austria

Pride events and children's book readings by drag queens have become a popular target of right-wing extremist protests in recent months. The current attempts at scandalisation show above all the increasing significance of LGBTIQ hostility in current manifestations of right-wing extremism. Using the example of the Austrian Identitarians, the contribution analyses the development and current boom of LGBTIQ hostility in the extreme right, the underlying functions and strategies as well as the problems of the public and media debate on the topic. To this end, in a first step the anti-LGBTIQ positions of far-right actors in Austria, from the "Identitarians" to the FPÖ and opponents of Covid-19 measures, will be analysed to show that anti-queer politics can vary depending on different political spectra. While the FPÖ for example has always taken a clear anti-LGBTIQ stance, the corresponding stances of the "Identitarians" have changed over the years. Using the example of drag queen readings, a further section is dedicated to the current significance of anti-LGBTIQ agitation in (Austrian) right-wing extremism, its cross-spectrum and networking function and the role of the media in the spread of right-wing extremist attacks. Finally, the right-wing extremist (mis)successes of recent mobilisations will also be examined.