LGBTQ activists have faced various challenges in their struggle for recognition and acceptance around the world. While some countries have made significant progress towards recognizing and protecting the rights of queer individuals, others still view them as threats to national security and morality. In totalitarian or semi-authoritarian regimes, queer identities are often redefined as a threat that must be suppressed through strict laws and policies. This essay will explore how these regimes use various methods to control LGBTQ activists and discuss strategies they employ to resist such repression.
Totalitarian or semi-authoritarian regimes often demonize queer identities by portraying them as a threat to traditional values and norms.
In Uganda, homosexuality was criminalized in 2014 under the Anti-Homosexuality Act, which also prohibited "promotion" of homosexuality. The law was passed amid intense religious and political opposition, with President Yoweri Museveni citing it as a way to preserve African culture and family values. Similarly, in Russia, a ban on "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among minors" was enacted in 2013, restricting public discussion of LGBTQ issues. These laws not only target queer individuals but also anyone who supports or promotes their cause, effectively silencing all forms of dissent.
To control LGBTQ activists further, these regimes have used surveillance, censorship, and intimidation tactics. They monitor social media platforms, websites, and other online spaces where LGBTQ activists may gather or communicate. In some cases, activists have been arrested for simply posting about their identities or events related to the community. Others face harassment, blackmail, and physical violence from state authorities or vigilante groups. This has led many activists to resort to using encryption software, secure messaging apps, and other methods to protect themselves and their allies.
Despite these challenges, LGBTQ activists in totalitarian or semi-authoritarian regimes continue to resist repression through various strategies. Some activists use art, music, literature, and performance to express their identities and challenge dominant narratives.
Artists like Jabu Nadia Newman in South Africa use poetry, music, and visual arts to celebrate queer identities while challenging traditional ideas of gender and sexuality. Other activists organize underground networks and safe houses to provide support and resources to those in need. Many also rely on international solidarity to raise awareness and pressure governments to change their policies.
LGBTQ activists in totalitarian or semi-authoritarian regimes face significant challenges due to the way that their identities are redefined as a threat. To survive and thrive, they must employ creative resistance strategies that often involve risk and sacrifice. By doing so, they can promote acceptance, visibility, and equality within their communities and beyond.
How do totalitarian or semi‑authoritarian regimes redefine queer identities as threats, and how do LGBTQ activists strategise resistance within such constrained spaces?
Totalitarian or semi‑authoritarian regimes often define queer identities as threats to their power structures by attempting to control sexuality and gender expressions that are considered deviant from societal norms. This can lead to oppression, violence, and discrimination against those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or other non-binary genders.