Heteroactivism

de Catherine Jean Nash, Kath Browne

Around the world, LGBTQ+ activists have won an unprecedented series of political victories, from marriage equality to increased representation in government. But this success has sparked a backlash. Nash and Browne consider the rise of the new 'heteroactivism', showing how social media and new sources of funding have reinvigorated the opponents of LGBTQ+ rights. They also show how the rhetoric and tactics of this generation of heteroactivists differs from that of their predecessors, exploiting notions of 'parental rights' and freedom of speech to assert heteronormative values in spaces ranging from schools to workplaces. They also reveal the increasingly transnational nature of anti- LGBTQ+ activism, with growing links between heteroactivists in the US, UK and beyond.