The field of anti-gender research has shown how gender and sexuality are at the core of authoritarian policies, which have increased in importance during the past two decades, in Europe and beyond. Moreover, several scholars have argued that also issues of race, migration, neo-colonialism and imperialism are pivotal to the anti-gender movement, calling for a more intersectional approach within the field.
This paper takes this intersectional approach to anti-gender as its point of departure to explore how anti-Palestinean policies have been applied in Sweden since October 7, 2023, further increasing authoritarian features in Swedish society. In doing so, the paper asks:
1. What are the connections and disruptions between anti-gender and anti-Palestinian policies?
2. How does this relate to the specifics of the Swedish context and dominant narratives of Swedish exceptionalism?
These explorations are part of an ongoing research project at Helsinki University on the Palestine solidarity movement in Sweden and Finland. The paper will be based on in-depth interview with various civil society actors who have experienced repression due to their solidarity with Palestine, as well as an analysis of media discussions. The paper puts this new empirical material in relation to my previous research on anti-gender in Sweden, highlighting possible continuities between anti-gender and anti-Palestinian policies, not least in relation to processes of racialisation.
