homonationalism

Etymology

Coined by Jasbir Puar. From homo- + nationalism.

homonationalism means The favourable association of LGBTI people and/or LGBTI rights with a nationalist ideology. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 85 out of 100.

Why this word is great

HOMONATIONALISM — [Noun] The strategic alignment of LGBTQI+ rights and identities with nationalist, imperial, or xenophobic agendas, whereby progressive values are leveraged to frame a nation as superior, thereby justifying xenophobia, racism, or militarism. Coined by scholar Jasbir K. Puar, from the combining form homo- (here, short for homosexual) + nationalism. Unlike "homonormativity," which critiques assimilation into domestic, consumer-oriented institutions, or "pinkwashing," which describes a specific promotional distraction, homonationalism is the broader ideological framework—the structural marriage of queer liberation and state power. It manifests as the rainbow flag fluttering beside the national emblem at an anti-immigration rally, the political speech championing "our" tolerance against "their" alleged backwardness, and the corporate pride parade sponsored by a state investing in border walls. It is the brittle triumph of inclusion, purchased with the hard currency of exclusion.

noun

The favourable association of LGBTI people and/or LGBTI rights with a nationalist ideology.“There is a vicious circle of escalating antagonism between the new homonationalism of LGBTQI communities and what can by analogy be called “heteronationalism”: the adoption of anti-LGBTQI attitudes as an expression of insurgent national, ethnic and/or religious identity.”