Here’s a term you may be hearing more often in political debate: homonationalism.
Just days ago, Spiked claimed the concept is on the rise, linking it to the idea that across Europe, gay voters are moving rightwards. But what does it actually mean? The term was coined in 2007 by Rutgers University scholar Jasbir Puar in Terrorist Assemblages: Homonationalism in Queer Times. Broadly, it refers to the selective acceptance of LGBTQ+ people to promote nationalist agendas.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Communication defines it as the growing embrace of LGBT rights by (mostly Western) nations, alongside the complicity of some LGBTQ+ groups with nationalist politics. Puar developed the idea while analyzing how the U.S. framed its war on terror, using pro-LGBTQ+ rhetoric to portray Muslim-majority nations as inherently homophobic—despite limited LGBTQ+ rights at home.
Scholars note that homonationalism often prioritizes white, cisgender gay men, while marginalizing trans people, non-binary people, and queer people of color. The rhetoric has appeared in global conflicts, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s war in Gaza.
In 2023, Israel’s official Twitter account posted images captioned, “The first ever Pride flag raised in Gaza,” despite same-sex marriage remaining illegal in Israel. Scholars warn that the concept should be examined alongside colonialism, racism, and class, not sexuality alone.
