A Year of Hate: Anti-Drag Mobilisation Efforts Targeting LGBTQ+ People in France

The report identifies a growing network of far-right actors, conspiracy theorists, and COVID-19 sceptics in France who are targeting all-ages drag events through online harassment and increasing in-person protests. It highlights the influence of US-based anti-drag narratives and the role of political parties like Reconquête and Rassemblement National in these efforts.

• Anti-drag mobilisation in France serves as a nexus for ideologically diverse groups, including far-right media, local far-right groups, conspiracy theorists, COVID-19 sceptics, and political parties.
• There is a notable overlap between COVID-19 sceptics and anti-LGBTQ+ advocacy, with some conspiracy-focused actors adopting narratives regarding 'grooming' and the 'protection of children'.
• While early anti-drag activity in France was primarily online, there is a trend toward in-person mobilisation, as evidenced by protests in Paris and Saint-Senoux.
• French anti-drag actors heavily utilize narratives and content from the United States, indicating a transnational influence on their rhetoric.
• The party Reconquête, led by Eric Zemmour, showed signs of coordinated behavior in the distribution of a 2023 anti-drag petition.
• Anti-drag actors frequently conflate drag performers with transgender individuals, using transphobic slurs and hate speech to frame drag as a danger to children.

APA

Institute for Strategic Dialogue (2024). A Year of Hate: Anti-Drag Mobilisation Efforts Targeting LGBTQ+ People in France. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/A-Year-of-Hate_Anti_Drag-Mobilisation_France.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Strategic Dialogue. A Year of Hate: Anti-Drag Mobilisation Efforts Targeting LGBTQ+ People in France. 2024. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/A-Year-of-Hate_Anti_Drag-Mobilisation_France.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Strategic Dialogue |title=A Year of Hate: Anti-Drag Mobilisation Efforts Targeting LGBTQ+ People in France |date=2024 |url=https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/A-Year-of-Hate_Anti_Drag-Mobilisation_France.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforstrategicdialogue2024year, author = {{Institute for Strategic Dialogue}}, title = {{A Year of Hate: Anti-Drag Mobilisation Efforts Targeting LGBTQ+ People in France}}, institution = {Institute for Strategic Dialogue}, year = {2024}, url = {https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/A-Year-of-Hate_Anti_Drag-Mobilisation_France.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }