The transnational force of anti-LGBT+ politics in Latin America

In the wake of recent advancements of LGBTQI rights, one of the world’s most coordinated transnational counter-rights backlash movements against feminist and queer-inclusive state practices has occurred in Latin America. Originally organized around local issues and funded by religious groups, the movement has received political support throughout the region and now operates at the international level. It has brought together a remarkably diverse range of actors—many for the first time under the same umbrella. This chapter explores the process through which anti-right groups have mobilized against queer and gender-inclusive state practices. It looks at the genesis of this movement and considers key inflection points in its history. In exploring this history, it seeks to explain an interesting puzzle: Why has this movement produced such extreme action in response to seemingly benign efforts, such as national anti-bullying and ‘homotolerant’ education campaigns in Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, and Peru? Building off literatures of political homophobia and anti-rights movements, the chapter argue that queer-inclusive efforts by the government produce unique framing opportunities for anti-rights groups to mobilize a diverse coalition within Latin American societies to advance broader uncivil political goals.