Homonationalist Rhetoric and Attitudes towards LGBTQ+ Issues


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Homonationalist rhetoric involves three key actors: the national outgroup (as the target), the LGBTQ+ community (as an instrument), and the political entrepreneur (as the main actor). This rhetoric not only defines individual identities in national terms but also introduces partisanship, blurring the boundaries between the LGBTQ+ community and the national outgroup. Consequently, two critical questions arise. First, when exposed to homonationalist rhetoric by a right-wing political entrepreneur, do nativist individuals become more supportive of LGBTQ+ policies, or do they reinforce their partisan identity by aligning with the “enemy of their enemies”? Second, does exposure to such rhetoric lead cosmopolitan individuals to develop warmer feelings towards the national outgroup? If both questions yield affirmative responses, it suggests that the influence of homonationalist rhetoric on individual attitudes towards LGBTQ+ issues may be overestimated (Turnbull-Dugarte and Ortega 2023). Moreover, this rhetoric may unexpectedly foster warmer sentiments towards the national outgroup among left-wing actors, thereby strengthening the association between traditional morality attitudes and national identity, rather than weakening it.