One Strategy to Rule Them All: The EU’s Descent into Queer Activism — Genspect

https://genspect.org/one-strategy-to-rule-them-all-the-eus-descent-into-queer-activism/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=one-strategy-to-rule-them-all-the-eus-descent-into-queer-activism

QUOTE

In November 2020, the EU unveiled its first LGBTIQ Equality Strategy (2020-2025)—a grandiose political manifesto designed to weave LGBTIQ issues into the fabric of EU policies, legislation, funding programmes, and even its external relations.1 Though the strategy carries no legal force, its influence is undeniable. Civil society organisations and activists on the ground wield anything bearing the EU stamp like a blunt instrument, treating it as irrefutable proof of progressive consensus. That strategy is then recycled and repurposed in national debates, magnifying its effect far beyond its official remit.

Funding streams such as CERV, Erasmus+, and ESF+ dutifully flow toward LGBTIQ initiatives, supporting projects that align with the EU’s broader vision of progress—which increasingly resembles a Netflix series written by an algorithm trained on Tumblr blogs. These programmes not only nudge member states and candidate countries toward compliance but also export the agenda beyond European borders, positioning the EU as a global standard-bearer of identity politics.

The strategy was drafted under the leadership of then-Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli, shaped in collaboration with institutional partners like the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and civil society organisations. Chief among these is ILGA-Europe, comparable to the UK’s notorious queer advocacy group Stonewall—but on steroids. With deeper pockets, more expansive access to European institutions, and an outsized influence over policymaking, ILGA-Europe has been instrumental in defining the scope and priorities of the strategy, ensuring its agenda aligns neatly with the broader goals of radical queer activism.2