Anti-(trans)gender politics as the new frontier of femonationalism

Since the late 2010s the far-right has been targeting trans-people and trans-gender rights in unprecedented ways. The UK in particular has been at the centre of international attention due to the vigour of debates about gender self-identification in schools, sports and public spaces. Alongside increasing hostility in the political mainstream, far-right groups and activists have ramped-up their actions against trans rights, with a particular pushback against the diversification of Sex and Relationships Education under the guise of ‘protecting’ young people. What we can see increasingly in the far-right landscape is that while there is some tolerance, especially in some groups, of LGB rights (as long as gay and lesbians are cis-women and men), there is absolutely no tolerance of trans-gender people, especially trans-women. Indeed, the main target of right-wing nationalist campaigns now are trans-women, who are presented as dangerous men who disguise as women in order to molestate 'real' women in public toilets, or to rob them of their medals in sport competitions. Once again, the far-right instrumentalises women’s rights and issues around women’s safety to ramp up their politics of hate and fear. This paper explores the reasons behind this new turn in anti-(trans)gender, femonationalist politics, including through an analysis of the role played by female digital spaces therein.