No longer red, but a rainbow-coloured plague: the influence of ontological insecurities on the anti-gender discourse in Poland

Sammanfattning: In recent years anti-genderism has increased in popularity, as the populist parties, illiberal governments and conservative groups have begun to implement the discourse into their politics. The discourse can function as a symbolic glue, political tool as well as part of the religious narrative. Anti-genderism can emerge in different parts of the world, however, in the post-Socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe, gender is perceived as a totalitarian ideology, comparable even to communism. To study the influence of the historical ontological insecurities on the construction of the anti-gender discourse, this thesis analyses the case of the socalled LGBT-free zones in Poland. Through analysis of the resolutions produced by the local governments combined with statements of the religious actors, the thesis argues that the current anti-gender discourse is influenced by the insecurities of the Polish Catholic Church. To conduct such a study, this thesis has adhered to ontological security, gendered nationalism, chosen traumas and glories, which together with Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory guided the research. The thesis’ findings revealed that there are two anti-gender discourses that operate currently in Poland, which may share the same interests, but ultimately, they work for different actors.