Stigma inversion and new anti-LGBT rhetoric: “contesting” ho-mophobia in the Italian press

Abstract

The essay builds on a research investigating the inclusion of the term ?homophobia? in two relevant Italian newspapers (Corriere della Sera and la Repubblica) between 1979 and 2007. The choice of this time-period goes from the first appearance of the term to its decisive diffusion in the considered media. The analysis detects the meanings attached to the term by different communities of interpretation, shading light on the accommodation – or normalization – of the term ‘homophobia’ into heteronormative discourses. In this paper, in particular, we focus on the link between the need to reject the stigma of homophobia and the renewal of anti-Lgbt narratives. For example, the representation of “polluted” queer subjectivities is gradually replaced by that of a “polluting” ideology promoted by Lgbt movement. Results are relevant for the ongoing literature investigating the new rhetoric and strategies implied by neo-conservative and anti-gender campaigns and movements.

Keywords: discourse analysis, Italian press, new homophobia, sexual citizenship, (post)secularization