Populist anti-genderism: A relational comparison of populist politics in Turkey, Hungary, and Sweden

This article argues that gender is constitutive – not merely contextual – of right-wing populist politics in Turkey, Hungary, and Sweden. Despite contrasting political and cultural contexts, these movements meet in using anti-genderism as a key discursive repertoire. Familialism, heteronormativity, and anti-science discourse function as gendered mechanisms through which populist actors feminise, queer, or intellectualise their opponents, portraying them as corrupt or alien elites. Drawing on a relational comparison of political, media, and social-media discourses, the analysis shows how anti-gender narratives transform moral conservatism into claims to authenticity and knowledge. Integrating discourse-theoretical and feminist perspectives, the article reveals how attacks on “gender ideology” reassert patriarchal authority and reshape the relationship between knowledge, morality, and belonging.