Manipulations on the protection of the family – a weapon to preserve the patriarchy

The misinformation we analyzed fits into the anti-gender narrative, including speculations about millions of abortions in Serbia, false information regarding the LGBT+ community, and unfounded accusations of child pornography. Viral posts often target specific groups, such as labeling monkeypox as a “gay disease”. Feminism has also been a frequent target, with claims that Western feminism destroys traditional family values and that feminism itself is an invention of the Rockefeller Foundation aimed at dismantling marriage and family.

However, misinformation on social media represents just one facet of a broader ecosystem, bolstered by statements from officials and other prominent figures.

Patriarch Porfirije, in his May 2023 speech, strongly criticized the Gender Equality Law and provisions regarding gender-sensitive language, stating he would “cry and scream in frustration” at the perceived changes in societal roles. This prompted the Ombudsman for Human Rights, Zoran Pašalić, to announce a constitutional review process. Mirjana Bobić-Mojsilović, speaking on the same media outlet (Sputnik), claimed that feminism was created to “subvert the family”, while historian Vladislav Đorđević purportedly explained feminism as advocating against marriage and children, promoting homosexual relationships instead.

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Jezik mizoginije je jezik nasilja, a dezinformacije su oružje za očuvanje patrijarhata i rodne neravnopravnosti❗ Dok čitamo čestitke za 8. mart, podsetimo se šta slušamo ostalim danima ✊ #8mart #danžena #rodnaravnopravnost #medijska_pismenost #borba_protiv_dezinformacija #Francuska_u_Srbiji #ambassade_de_France_en_Serbie #FranceenSerbie

♬ original sound – Istinomer

 

What is an anti-gender narrative?

 

“Movement against ‘gender ideology’ is a new phenomenon, and both the number and influence of anti-gender actors have increased in recent years,” is one of the conclusions from the research “Online Narratives against ‘Gender Ideology’ in Serbia” by the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCBP). The study notes a strong presence of these actors on the internet and social media, where they spread hate speech and promote anti-gender discourse – often through sharing misinformation and conspiracy theories – thus increasing their popularity in Serbia and mobilizing citizens against the LGBT+ community and feminists.

One of the authors of this research, Maja Bjeloš, a researcher at BCBP, told Istinomer that these narratives are essentially paving the way towards autocracy. She added that movements promoting anti-gender narratives are fundamentally nationalist and anti-Western.

“People still operate under the belief that the West is responsible for many issues, with feminism and LGBT rights being recent additions to that narrative. This shift is easily understood; the crux of the matter lies in the shift from a democratic to an autocratic regime”, says Bjeloš.

Activist Aleksa Milanović from the Trans Balkan Network concurs, noting that our media promotes stories of family values alongside an anti-Western narrative. According to Milanović, this narrative suggests that transgenderism and homosexuality are Western imports, thereby heightening the risk of violence in public spaces.”

“The anti-gender movement”, as described by Milanović to Istinomer, “encompasses homophobic acts by right-wing organizations and institutions, along with transphobic, misogynistic, and sexist behavior”. Milanović, one of the authors of the publication “Transfeminist Cooks”, asserts that “the patriarchal system often promotes the revitalization of hyper-nationalist agendas and authoritarianism, particularly concerning the body and micro-institutional units such as the family or community”.

 

And how are the anti-gender discourse and the idea of ​​the traditional family connected?

 

In the scientific paper “Anti-Gender Discourse in Media in Serbia” by the Center for Women’s Studies, it is emphasized that while the term “gender ideology” is widely used in public discourse, the term “family (and traditional) values” is even more prevalent. The paper notes that this term encompasses a spectrum of meanings, ranging from the nuclear family to the nation, depicted as a patriarchal extended family with strictly defined gender roles and hierarchical structures.

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Kako dezinformacije služe kao oružje za očuvanje patrijarhata? Dezinformacije na društvenim mrežama, ipak, samo su deo šireg eko-sistema, koji je potpomognut izjavama zvaničnika i drugih istaknutih ličnosti. Sagovornici Istinomera kažu da ljudi u Srbiji veruju da je Zapad za sve kriv i da se samo na to doda narativ i feminizma i LGBT-a, a da je suština balansiranje od demokratskog ka autokratskom režimu. #medijska_pismenost #borba_protiv_dezinformacija #Francuska_u_Srbiji #ambassade_de_France_en_Serbie #FranceenSerbie

♬ original sound – Istinomer

The fight against gender ideology is often depicted as defending the “natural” order through the protection of the ‘natural’ family, which is perceived as threatened by various social and legislative interventions. These include measures concerning reproductive and LGBT rights, efforts against gender discrimination, equal treatment of homosexual and heterosexual communities, sexual education, and initiatives aimed at combating gender-based violence.

“Anti-gender discourse can encompass anything opposing achieved levels of gender equality, often aligning with conservative views favoring the so-called traditional family”, explains Nađa Bobičić, one of the authors of this paper, to Istinomer.

 

What is a traditional family anyway?

 

Maja Bjeloš from BCBP tells Istinomer that the anti-gender narrative defines the family as a union between a man and a woman, but raises the question of what constitutes a traditional family.

“The traditional family is the extended family. That would be the traditional family, not just a man, woman, and two children”, emphasizes Bjeloš, explaining that this framing creates space to insist on a Constitution that recognizes only marriage between a man and a woman, thereby providing excuses to reject same-sex marriages. Given that the traditional family is seen as the fundamental unit and is viewed very homogeneously, Bjeloš concludes that all this narrative leads towards a nationalist vision of society.

Nađa Bobičić, a research associate at the Faculty of Political Sciences, clarifies that the traditional family portrayed in the anti-gender narrative never truly existed in practice because the idea of “dad, mom, and two children” excludes single-parent families, extended families, and LGBT families. She then questions the rationale for defending such a family structure.

“That is a site of violence, we all know that. How can someone in Serbia, with so much gender-based violence at every turn, not to mention femicides, argue that it’s beneficial to maintain gender roles and uphold the traditional family? It implies endorsing a system that is inherently unequal and fosters conditions leading to the most direct forms of violence”, explains Bobičić. She further notes that even in cases without physical violence, the relationship dynamics between men and women within such families remain unequal.

 

Violence – a consequence of the anti-gender narrative

 

Maja Bjeloš asserts a direct link between those who promote anti-gender narratives, provide platforms for them, and the resulting endangerment of specific minority groups’ lives and safety. “Misogyny and anti-gender attitudes directly contribute to femicides, and accountability should be sought at the highest levels”, she states. Bjeloš emphasizes that the normalization of hatred towards the LGBT+ community leads directly to more incidents and physical attacks.

“We are a society that has quickly forgotten that a trans woman was murdered, and no one turned around to look for her”, Bjeloš says, recalling incidents such as police raids on LGBT+ individuals’ homes and unacceptable police behavior. She concludes that the entire anti-gender context legitimizes and perpetuates such behavior.

Aleksa Milanović, an activist from the Trans Network Balkan, says that this entire narrative directly impacts the transgender community, as there is no public space where trans people feel safe; instead, there is constant fear for their lives. As an example, he mentioned the murder of Noa. “If you disappear, no one will look for you, no one cares, and someone can tear you apart, and no one cares. In this case, the family exerted pressure, and we have so many cases where families kick out their trans children and refuse to hear from them anymore. Who will look for them”, Milanović asks.

 

Disinformation as a weapon

 

Maja Bjeloš from BCBP asserts: “Disinformation campaigns serve to target specific individuals, including women and minorities, and to normalize behavior that should not be accepted.”

This research, which also covered news during EuroPride 2022, cited an example of disinformation involving “Milka from Germany”. This woman claimed to live in Germany with her eight-year-old son and received an official letter stating that “children, if we have a son, should dress in a dress; if we have a daughter, should dress like a boy so that children can find out whether they are male or female”.

“At that moment, Milka was manipulated and misunderstood, leading to incorrect reporting. She became a victim of this planned and consciously orchestrated misinformation”, says Bjeloš.

No battle is small

Nađa Bobičić mentions that through her extensive involvement with this topic, she has learned that, for anti-gender movements, no battle is too small.

“We might say it’s just one paragraph in a book, or it’s just one project, but every stone is important to them. Wherever they can intervene, create turmoil in public, and mobilize parents”, added Bobičić.

Aleksa Milanović from the Trans Network Balkan cites an example of textbook removal. In 2021, media reported that a biology textbook for eighth grade included explanations of transgenderism, intersexuality, and homosexuality under the teaching unit “Biological Meaning of Adolescence”. Eventually, corrections were deemed necessary in textbooks related to the ‘biological meaning of adolescence’, and publishers were required to submit revised manuscripts.

“What message was sent to the public and to children? That these are not topics children should engage with, when in fact it is about combating discrimination, promoting tolerance, and understanding diversity”, explains Milanović.