Voting Right? Analyzing Electoral Homonationalism of LGBTIQ* Voters in Austria and Germany

Abstract

Gender and sexuality have become increasingly relevant issues for right-wing populist parties. This article analyzes political attitudes of lesbian, gay, bi, trans*, inter, and queer (LGBTIQ*) voters of right-wing populist parties in local elections in Vienna (Austria) and Berlin (Germany). Right-wing LGBTIQ* voters display similar negative attitudes toward migrants, women, and other sexual minorities as the right-wing parties Alternative für Deutschland and Freiheitliche Partei Österreich they vote for. We argue that this “electoral homonationalism” is a bridge from the nationalist discourse of parties and political groups to the voting behavior of the electorate.

Rainbows and traffic lights: queer voters at the German ballot box

“…There is a sizeable asymmetry between sexuality groups in support for Germany's radical right-wing party: Alternative für Deustchland (AfD). The far-right party, co-led by an out lesbian (Alice Weidel), has made attempts to court the German LGB vote (Hunklinger and Ajanovíc, 2022) by signalling the alleged inimical threat that immigrants (read Muslims) present to the country's LGBT+ community (see Figure 3). Consistent with comparative evidence that LGB voters are more favourable towards immigration (Turnbull-Dugarte, 2021), these campaign efforts appear to have failed to provide the radical right party with the desired electoral fruits.…”

The 2021 federal German election: A gender and intersectional analysis

“…Among LGBTI voters, Hunklinger et al (2021) illustrate (based on a self-selected sample) that the Greens would have won the majority of votes (52.6%) due to their strong advocacy politics in favour of LGBTI rights. Other data from local elections illustrate that there is, nonetheless, also a degree of 'homonationalism', that is, LGBTI voters who vote for nationalist, populist parties (Hunklinger and Ajanović, 2022). Voters of immigrant-origin are today a substantial, but not a homogeneous part of the electorate.…”

Valors homonacionalistes? La proposta d’una dimensionalització per a un instrument de mesura propi

“…Una visió més quantitativa i contrastada de valors basada en mostres representatives encara és emergent (Freude & Vergés Bosch, 2020;Domínguez & Freude, 2021;Spierings, 2021;Freude & Waites, 2022;Freude & Vergés Bosch, 2022). Per una banda hi ha treballs que es centren en l'anàlisi del vot homonacionalista (Hunklinger & Ajanović, 2021;Spierings, 2021), per altra banda, hi ha treballs centrats en valors homonacionalistes. Ambdues aproximacions aporten una innovació en tant que tradueixen el concepte homonacionalisme en un llenguatge quantitatiu que permet l'anàlisi d'enquestes en un context de nacionalismes i racismes transformats, però també noves sinergies en lluites compartides.…”

“…Les invocacions de la complexitat de la interseccionalitat i l'afany inductiu de les persones investigadores de fer emergir nous aspectes en l'articulació de raça, nació i sexualitat complica encara més la tasca de la conceptualització. Per altra banda, sí que s'han fet unes primeres operacionalitzacions que han permès la mesura quantitativa d'homonacionalisme (Freude & Waites, forthcoming;Hunklinger & Ajanović, 2021;Spierings, 2021;Domínguez & Freude, 2021;Freude & Vergés, 2020) encara que sigui d'una manera precària. En aquest sentit es planteja la tasca de crear un instrument de mesura més complet incorporant les diferents definicions i aspectes que s'han anat treballant al llarg dels últims 15 anys sota el concepte homonacionalisme.…”