The Family’s Right to Decide: Anti-Gender Coalitions in the Struggle Against Sexual Education Policy in Mexico 1932-2016

Anti-gender mobilizations around the world have attracted significant scholarly attention over the past few years. But although existing work has significantly advanced our understanding of the ideology and overarching beliefs and values that guide these actors’ strategies, few studies have in detail studied the links between anti-gender groups and other civil society actors such as religious institutions and political parties. This paper examines the dynamics of anti-gender actors’ coalitions and how their organization and strategies have evolved over time. Empirically, it traces conservative mobilization in Mexico where resistance to government policy dates back to the Revolution. Analyzing four periods of contention, the paper shows that the ideological foundation against sexual education remains the same over time. Founded in religious doctrine, it has allowed conservative actors to join forces to advance the same cause. This common base suggest that religious institutions operate as central nodes in resistance against “gender ideology,” blurring the line between autonomous and clergy-led mobilization. The involvement of business elites and the political class, whose resources have facilitated broader mobilization, is another consistent feature. This paper contributes to existing studies by shedding comparative light on the evolution of resistance against sexual education policy and its dynamics over time.