The paper analyzes the situation of LGBTIQ++ individuals and communities in Tunisia under the current rise of authoritarianism, asking for practices of resilience and strategies of resistance. While the years following the 2010/11 revolution allowed for limited political and societal liberalization—including the opening of civil society to queer politics and LGBTIQ++ concerns—the current government under President Kaïs Saied (in office since 2019) has been characterized by increasing authoritarianism, racism, and the systematic shrinking of civic space.
Based on empirical research including interviews with LGBTIQ++ activists and field observations since 2019, the contribution examines how Saied’s regime affects queer activism as well as everyday lives, and leads to processes of adaption and strategic restructurings. Through scrutinizing the dynamics of authoritarian turn and de-democratization for LGBTIQ++ individuals and communities from an intersectional lens on their macro, meso and micro-levels, the article shows that the targeting of queer people, spaces, and organizations is significant to Tunisia’s current authoritarian state restructuring. Here, the paper highlights the resilient strategies of LGBTIQ++ communities resisting and countering the shifting environment.
