How The Vatican Helped Create The Anti-‘Gender Ideology’ Movement
Catholicism, complementarity, and the construction of an empty signifier
We hear the term ‘gender ideology’ thrown about a lot these days, almost exclusively as a pejorative. From ‘gender critical’ feminists, to US Republicans and far-right Euro politicians, attacking ‘gender ideology’ is the populist, right-wing rhetoric du jour.
‘Gender ideology’ can refer to many things, from reproductive rights to gay marriage, sex education in schools, or self-declaration for transgender people; really, anything the anti-gender movement wants it to refer to.
Yet, despite its ubiquity, few people are probably aware of the role of the Catholic Church, and in particular Popes Benedict XVI and Francis, in creating and promoting anti-‘gender ideology’ discourse.
It might seem implausible that the groups mentioned above would have much in common with the Catholic Church, but the echoes of Vatican dogma can be heard throughout the rhetoric of the modern anti-gender movement.
How did that dogma spread so far beyond the confines of the Church?
The answer lies in the rhetorical expediency of ‘gender ideology’ as an empty signifier, and its use to scapegoat feminists and Queer…
