The crisis that never changed: anti-gender and masculinity in crisis discourse in political speech
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This article explores anti-gender discourse in political debate over 30 years. Expanding scholarship on the transnational anti-gender movement and connecting it to the ‘crisis of masculinity’ discourse, we examine political discourse across the ideological spectrum and its contribution to the persistence and normalization of anti-gender narratives. Using a discourse-historical approach, we analyse speeches delivered in the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic between 1993 and mid-2024, answering two research questions: Did anti-gender discourse change over time in political speech? What are the threats to patriarchal manhood identified in this discourse? Our longitudinal analysis reveals a remarkably stable discursive pattern: since the early 1990s, three overarching discursive themes consistently appeared – threat to the heteronormative family, threat of gender equality and the demise of society and humankind. Politicians have repeatedly framed gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights as endangering traditional male roles, evoking fear to back their arguments. These findings demonstrate not only the continuity of anti-gender rhetoric but also its diffusion beyond extremist or religious groups into mainstream political discourse.
Source: Journal of Gender Studies
Authors: Lucie Němcová, Linda Coufal
Institution: Charles University
Language: English
Topic: Gender and Feminist Studies
Subfield: Gender Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Awards: G5497369908, G5670276769
OpenAlex ID: W7128375935