Q Center

April 30, 2024

Diversion Tactics

We’ve seen an alarming rise in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation over the past few years, and it’s important to name that it isn’t just happening out of the blue. The rise in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and bill proposals can be attributed to several factors, including political, social, and cultural shifts. Here are some key reasons for this trend:

Political Agenda: Politicians often use issues like LGBTQ+ rights to mobilize their base and gain political support. This can include introducing legislation that appeals to conservative voters or aligns with a particular party’s platform.

Religious Beliefs: Many anti-LGBTQ+ initiatives are driven by interpretations of religious beliefs that condemn non-heterosexual orientations or gender identities. This perspective leads to efforts to pass laws that restrict LGBTQ+ rights based on moral or religious grounds.

The relationship between the American political and religious landscape is complex and deeply interconnected. Both sectors tend to invigorate each others positions and therefore power. 

Backlash to Progress: As LGBTQ+ rights have advanced in various areas, there has been a corresponding backlash from individuals and groups opposed to these changes. This can result in efforts to repeal existing protections or block further advancements.

Misinformation and Fear: Misconceptions and fear-based narratives about LGBTQ+ individuals can contribute to support for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. This includes false claims about the impact of LGBTQ+ rights on society, children, or religious freedoms.

Shifts in Political Power: Changes in political leadership or shifts in legislative majorities can influence the introduction of anti-LGBTQ+ measures. In recent decades, when conservative or right-leaning parties gain power, they may prioritize policies that align with their social and moral ideologies. While more liberal or left-leaning parties typically lean towards LGBTQ+ friendly legislation, there remains a long and active history of liberal politics perpetuating harm to the LGBTQ+ community. 

Global Context: Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation can also be influenced by broader global trends, including the rise of authoritarian or conservative ideologies in certain regions. Similarly, the global context can be and is influenced by the rise of more conservative and authoritarian powers in the United States This can lead to increased efforts to suppress LGBTQ+ rights and freedoms.

The political context surrounding anti-LGBTQ+ legislation often involves politicians using this topic as a means to garner support and potentially secure re-election. This strategy can be seen as a red herring or a form of scapegoating, where politicians divert attention from their own shortcomings or policy failures by focusing on contentious social issues like LGBTQ+ rights. Here’s a deeper exploration of this phenomenon:

  • Diversion from Policy Failures:
    • Politicians may turn to anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation as a way to divert attention from their failures in addressing pressing policy issues or fulfilling campaign promises.
  • Appeal to Conservative Base:
    • For politicians aligned with conservative or right-leaning ideologies, anti-LGBTQ+ initiatives can serve as a rallying cry to mobilize their base. This strategy is often used during election cycles to energize voters who prioritize traditional values or who oppose progressive social changes.
  • Pandering to Special Interest Groups:
    • Some politicians may introduce or support anti-LGBTQ+ measures to cater to special interest groups, such as religious organizations or conservative advocacy groups. This alignment can provide financial support, endorsements, and grassroots activism crucial for re-election campaigns.
  • Creating a Political Divide:
    • By framing LGBTQ+ rights as a divisive issue, politicians can exploit existing societal tensions and deepen political divides. This tactic may be used strategically to portray themselves as defenders of certain values or to demonize opponents who advocate for LGBTQ+ equality.
  • Distraction from Economic Issues:
    • During periods of economic uncertainty or when facing challenges related to governance, politicians may use anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric to distract the public from economic issues. This tactic aims to shift public discourse away from socioeconomic concerns and towards cultural or moral debates.
  • Symbolic Gestures:
    • In some cases, politicians may propose or support anti-LGBTQ+ legislation as symbolic gestures rather than practical policy initiatives. These gestures are intended to signal allegiance to certain ideologies or values without necessarily enacting substantive change.
  • Enacting Overwhelm
    • The slew of anti-LGBTQ+ policies have deep impacts. However, it is also strategic to overwhelm the public with harmful, scary policies to immobilize LGBTQ+ and social justice activists. 

It’s important to note that while anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation is often wielded by some politicians for political advantage, it also has real consequences for LGBTQ+ individuals and communities. Such measures can and do lead to increased discrimination, marginalization, normalization of violent othering, and a rollback of hard-won rights and protections.

These political dynamics underscore the complexities of using social issues as political tools and highlights the need for critical analysis of the motives behind anti-LGBTQ+ initiatives in the political arena. Staying informed about these complexities can help stakeholders (that’s you!) move out of overwhelm or immobilization and into action. 

Sources

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/19401612221102030
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/06/30/republicans-pride-month-lgbtq/ https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/2021-officially-becomes-worst-year-in-recent-history-for-lgbtq-state-legislative-attacks-as-unprecedented-number-of-states-enact-record-shattering-number-of-anti-lgbtq-measures-into-law
https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Polarized-Progress-GAI-Mar-2018.pdf https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563222004642
https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/08/13/political-homophobia-ramps