Rainbow wings: LGBTQ+ party wings in democracies

This upcoming book provides the first global study of LGBTQ+ wings within political parties across democratic systems. Although LGBTQ+ issues and voices were long marginalized or entirely absent from mainstream party politics, LGBTQ+ wings have become increasingly visible and influential actors within political parties, even amid renewed backlash against LGBTQ+ rights in many parts of the world.

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Drawing on original membership surveys, elite interviews, and archival material, the book examines why LGBTQ+ wings emerge, how they spread across parties and countries, and what explains their long-term survival. It explores their internal organization, their role in intraparty politics, and the ways they shape political representation and inclusion. The book also centers the experiences of LGBTQ+ activists themselves, analyzing their social backgrounds, political attitudes, experiences of membership, and political ambitions.

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Alongside a broad comparative perspective, the book offers rich case studies of LGBTQ+ wings with diverse historical trajectories and varying levels of institutionalization, highlighting how these organizations evolve under different political and social conditions.

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By examining how minority voices organize within parties, the book sheds new light on democratic representation, intraparty politics, and the changing relationship between political parties and historically marginalized communities.

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The book is an ongoing project and the full manuscript is expected to be completed in the spring of 2027.

 

The book project is the sponsor of the LGBTQ+ reception at the inaugural conference of the European Political Science Society (EPSS) in Belfast.