Homonationalism

Homonationalism is a concept developed by scholar Jasbir Puar in her 2007 book Terrorist Assemblages: Homonationalism in Queer Times. It names the way acceptance and tolerance of gay and lesbian people can become a measuring stick for whether a nation is seen as modern, civilized, or fit for sovereignty. Puar argued that some states fold a narrow version of LGBTQ+ rights into nationalist and imperial projects, casting themselves as gay-friendly while treating other countries, especially Muslim-majority ones, as backward or homophobic. In that framing, queer rights rhetoric can be used to justify racism, surveillance, or war rather than to challenge power. The term is closely linked to critiques of pinkwashing.