Family, Nation, and Religion in Antigender Narratives in Latin America

I led this independent research project, which was awarded the Funding Challenge Winner – Early Career Female Researcher by the Enhanced Research Culture Fund (ERCF), UK.

As principal investigator, I conducted a narrative analysis of digital content produced by Latin American antigender movements, examining how ideas of family, nation, and religion are constructed and mobilised. The study focused on four prominent movements—“Con mis hijos no te metas”, “Congresso Iberoamericano por la Vida y la Familia”, “Iniciativa Ciudadana”, and “La Ola Celeste”—identified as key actors in regional anti-rights mobilisation.

Materials included social media posts, campaign videos, petitions, and reports published over a three-month period. The research investigated:

• What visions of family, nation, and religious faith are promoted?

• How do these movements justify their own political relevance?

• Who is framed as an ally or an enemy?

• Do these narratives reproduce colonial power structures in relation to gender, sexuality, and national identity?
  

Key Findings:These movements strategically merge Christian discourse with secular, legal, and scientific language. Religious elements such as prayer and fasting are combined with international legal references to present their agenda as legitimate and politically grounded.

The family is presented as singular, natural, and heterosexual—framed as being under existential threat by feminist and LGBTQIA+ “ideology.” National identity is evoked through appeals to Latin American cultural values and symbols, positioning these movements as defenders of sovereignty and tradition.

The state is portrayed in contradictory terms: as both a doctrinaire actor enforcing "gender ideology" and as an intimidated institution under pressure from international organisations. This framing supports narratives of democratic distortion, where minority rights are cast as threats to the will of the people.

Illustration: anthony schultz