Populist and illiberal politics: protecting LGBTQ+ people with the women, peace, and security agenda

With illiberal and populist mobilizations on the rise at home and abroad, LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) rights are continually coming under attack in the media, in legislative initiatives, and on the campaign trail. A key strategy for both domestic and transnational illiberal and populist movements has been to denounce LGBTQ+ equality to rally support and build their base. As anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment spreads, LGBTQ+ people’s fundamental right to peace and security is being threatened. The decades of organizing for attention to gender as a dimension of foreign and domestic policy globally through the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda provide a valuable platform for addressing this growing issue in the lives of lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer women.