CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2024
| Author | Lawrence, Leila |
|---|---|
| Title | TERFs and The Tories: The Mobilisation of Anti-Trans Discourse in Post-Brexit Britain |
| Summary | This thesis examines the co-optation and mobilisation of anti-trans discourses by the British Conservative Party in the post-Brexit era, focusing on understanding the political ends served by these strategies. Following Theresa May's 2018 pledge to reform the Gender Recognition Act (2004), a significant backlash emerged from trans-exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs), framing the issue as one of "women's safety." This anti-trans sentiment has since been mainstreamed in the UK, supported by both major political parties and the media, leading to the normalisation of transphobia and a "silent radicalisation of the electorate." The analysis explores why the Conservative Party, especially in the post-Theresa May period, has adopted overtly anti-trans policies, such as plans to segregate trans patients in the NHS and redefine legal sex as biological sex. These measures align with the right-wing populist shift in British politics post-Brexit, which involves culture wars aimed at undermining social justice. Utilising a neo-Gramscian framework and the Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA), this thesis addresses two key research questions: (1) How has anti-trans discourse been co-opted from the TERF movement by the Conservative Party since Brexit? (2) What political ends does this discourse serve? The analysis reveals that TERF discourses are recontextualised to construct a new Conservative Common Sense, part of a broader anti-woke culture war. This co-optation is facilitated by ideological overlaps and the ostensibly progressive veneer of TERF discourses, which help legitimise exclusionary stances under the guise of protecting women's rights. |
| Supervisor | Greskovits, Béla |
| Department | Political Science MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2024/lawrence_leila.pdf |
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