Authoritarian Right's Perspectives on Gender and Sexuality Fueling Fascism
In the realm of political discourse, the authoritarian right has been making waves with its strategies to create a "crisis of masculinity." This tactic is aimed at expanding voter or supporter-ship and building a mass base through cultural hegemony.
One of the most prominent voices in this discussion is Birgit Sauer, a retired professor of political science at the University of Vienna, who recently published a book titled "Boom of Masculinity. Affective Strategies of the Authoritarian Right" in 2023.
Sauer's lecture at the Innsbrucker Gender Lectures 2025/06, the latest edition of an annual series held since 2009, focuses on the role of gender studies in diagnosing the fascistization of the present. She uses examples from Austria and Germany to demonstrate how authoritarian anti-feminism fuels this process.
The lecture series, moderated by Gundula Ludwig, delves into the fascistization process in relation to gender studies, under the title "The Fascistization of the Present. Time Diagnoses from Gender Studies." The series also explores the ideological elements of this process, including the toleration and mobilization of violence against those identified as "other," such as trans* persons.
Sauer and Ludwig are also editing a book titled "The Coldest of All Cold Monsters? Approaches to Intersectional State Theory" for publication in 2024.
The 2025/06 lecture series presents elements of "border fascism" that aim to gain control over the borders of the body and to guard the borders between two distinct genders. The authoritarian right constructs an ideal of complementary heterosexuality and clear binary gender, and those beyond this boundary are willfully exposed to death.
The ideology of the authoritarian right is not limited to Europe. According to Sauer's research, the most important actors in the current fascistization in Europe and worldwide associated with antifeminism are typically far-right political groups and movements that link nationalist ideology with opposition to feminist and gender equality advances. These actors often use antifeminism as part of a broader political nationalism and gender nationalism agenda.
The recorded lectures from the Innsbrucker Gender Lectures can be found in the archive and are available for public access. The series provides valuable insights into the complex relationship between gender, politics, and the rise of authoritarianism, offering a thought-provoking exploration of the current political landscape.
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