How do nationalist political actors employ gender and sexuality to reinforce their power?

Consider the US, which proclaims itself a global advocate for human rights, including LGBTQ+ rights, but restricts access to universal abortion rights. Or consider a state like Russia, which vigorously promotes traditionalist values worldwide while simultaneously maintaining one of the world’s most accessible abortion policies. I study how political regimes strategically employ gender and sexuality to construct robust nationalist rhetoric and establish their positions in the international arena, sometimes in contradictory ways. My research primarily intersects with the subfields of gender and sexuality and transnational sociology. Methodologically, I use media analysis, survey data, and focus groups to explore the relationship between international social processes, state politics, public opinion, and lived experience.