Subject Positions in Anti-Gender Discourse in Finland: Constructing Discursive Struggles Over Gender

Abstract Book of the 5th International Conference on LGBT studies

Year: 2026

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Subject Positions in Anti-Gender Discourse in Finland: Constructing Discursive Struggles Over Gender

Susanna Mattila-Connor

ABSTRACT:

Anti-gender discourse is linked to transnational mobilizations opposing ‘gender ideology,’ a term used as a rhetorical straw man to challenge women’s and LGBTQI rights activism and non-essentialist academic research on gender and sexuality. Gender is framed as a societal threat and a danger to humanity. Previous scholarship has conceptualized anti-genderism as a ‘symbolic glue’ connecting right-wing actors and ideas, a primarily religious trend, or a countermovement to feminism. While extensively studied elsewhere, Finnish anti-gender discourse remains underexplored. Existing research has focused on parliamentary debates on equal marriage. This study shifts attention to discursive practices from formal politics to anti-gender activism. In this study I ask my material: How do anti-gender campaigns construct their discourse and how do they employ the subject positions for the anti-gender activist, the ‘gender ideology supporter’ and the (trans) child? My theoretical approach relies on social constructionist discourse analysis, particularly Critical Discursive Psychology. The dataset comprises thirty-five texts including articles, press releases, blogs, and video transcripts from Finnish anti-gender organizations, and linked activist content.

Keywords: Anti-Gender; Activism; Discourse; Sex/Gender; Subject Positions