“You only babble. We talk science”: Repertoires of knowledge weaponization of anti-gender actors in Italy

Anti-gender politics of knowledge has only recently started to be addressed, with scholars showing that anti-gender anti-gender claims are fostered through intertwined processes of knowledge production and repression. While current literature has focused on the role of anti-gender politics of knowledge in democratic backsliding, scholars still need to examine the nexus between anti-gender politics of knowledge and anti-gender political violence. To address this gap, this paper builds the concept of knowledge repertoires to propose the conceptualization of ‘repertoires of knowledge weaponization: a set of practices that allow conservative and regressive movements to collectively advance social exclusion, oppression, marginalization and democratic-backslding within and beyond institutions. Empirically, our research focuses on Italy, a paradigmatic example of the diffusion of anti-gender claims across civil and institutional arenas. Through an innovative mixed-method approach that integrates qualitative content analysis with social network analysis, we analyse data from 15 parliamentary debates on homolesbobitransphobia (2020-2022) and 14 organisational documents produced by key Italian anti-gender actors (2020-2024). Our integrated analysis shows that repertoires of knowledge weaponization encompass three interrelated components- knowledge creation, manipulation and repression - which, in turn, entail a set of different practices. Data manipulation emerges as a particularly diffused practice, further contributing to masking anti-gender claims as ‘science’. At the same time, the frequent use of anecdotes roots this ‘science’ into the space of the everyday. Alongside these practices, the ridiculing of gender studies and feminist knowledge contribute to building an exclusionary and violent epistemology that further legitimizes the anti-gender project. By shedding light on anti-gender repertoires of knowledge weaponization, this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the nexus between politics of knowledge, epistemic violence and democratic backsliding.