Extreme Far-Right Queer Movement in Europe Confirmed by Austrian and German Elections

By Răzvan Ion

Every time I talk about the extreme far-right queer movement in Europe, confirmed by the Austrian and German elections, people raise their eyebrows. Gay, women, trans or black, we are all in danger. Austria’s elections on Sunday are raising concerns that they could deliver a significant and potentially radical setback for human rights in Europe. Recent research following the European Parliament elections, and even more current data, reveals a troubling trend: a significant portion of Europe’s queer community—between 17% and 30%—is voting for far-right parties. The primary motivation? A rising tide of Islamophobia within these micro-societies, raising serious concerns about the intersection of queer identity and political extremism.

A general brief overview

The aftermath of the European Parliament elections has revealed a concerning trend within the LGBTQ+ community—or ‘queer micro-society,‘ as I prefer to call it.

In France, 17% of queer voters supported Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National far-right party and 38.6 percent of married gay men voted for her Rassemblement National (formerly known as National Rally) party in regional elections. While France has seen ideological overlaps between the far-left and far-right, particularly around issues of nationalism and sovereignty, this shift is still surprising. France has had a gay prime minister and a president known for being LGBTQ-friendly, yet many still gravitated toward the far-right.

Germany mirrors a trend seen in France, but the situation in Austria stands out sharply: over 30% of queer voters backed the Freedom Party (FPÖ), a party founded in the 1950s by former SS officers. The FPÖ’s victory in the European elections this June is particularly alarming, given its history of holding key positions in government. With the party now led by a former Minister of the Interior, Austria’s political landscape appears even more troubling than that of its European neighbours. What makes this development especially worrisome is the FPÖ’s track record of far-right, nationalist policies that directly threaten marginalised communities, including the LGBTQ+ population.

In Italy, the picture is equally bleak. Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia), a populist party with undisguised neo-fascist roots, continues to gain traction. As one Italian friend remarked to me, Meloni may well remain prime minister for many years to come.

However, to be fair and accurate, it’s worth noting that despite recent victories by the far-right AfD (Alternative for Germany) in several German states, the percentage of queer voters supporting them remains much lower than in other countries. In a twist of irony, Germany remains one of the most open and progressive nations in terms of LGBTQ+ rights within the German-speaking world.

Switzerland has grappled with xenophobia for an extended period. Recall the time when public billboards incited violence against Roma people? This occurred openly, with authorities remaining conspicuously silent as the messages spread through the streets and cover of magazines.

In Austria, elections are set for Sunday, and there is growing concern as a significant  and growing percentage of Austrians support for far-right leader Herbert Kickl and his party, which has ties to former SS officers. This troubling history and the country history poses significant implications for Europe.

Critics highlight Hungary, where LGBTQ+ individuals face severe discrimination, as a possible model for future Austrian policies. Historically, Hungarians and Austrians have seen each other as ‘big brothers’. Hungary’s actions against the LGBT community are so extreme that the EU Council has called them ‘the worst in Europe.’

As a counterexample, in the Netherlands, where far-right politician Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV) won the elections, only 2.3% of the queer community voted for his party. Here there is a difference: the party openly supports gay rights, describing it as an important principle of Dutch society. Due to the Dutch electoral system, the PVV neither holds the prime ministership nor commands a majority in parliament.

 

Austria’s Case and Upcoming Elections on Sunday. Austrian ideologist Martin Sellner.

Herbert Kickl, the federal party leader of the far-right FPÖ, wants to become ‘Chancellor of the People.’

The results of a poll conducted by the international, Dutch-founded gay-dating platform Romeo, and their excellent foundation which supports democracy projects, has raised eyebrows. Romeo carried out an election poll among its predominantly male users in Austria in the run-up to the parliamentary elections on September 29. The outcome was that the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) ranked first with 26% percent of the vote, as reported by Der Standard.

Most of the respondents for Romeo were gay, bisexual, and other queer men. Romeo emphasises, as declared to queer.de: ‘However, thanks to our large reach and the number of participants, we can at least gather data on the interests and preferences of the LGBT community’. The dating platform declined to interpret or comment the shift to the right among its users, as we requested.

Interest in the FPÖ is not an isolated case. In a Romeo poll conducted in spring 2024 before the European elections, the far-right AfD led in Germany, as reported by reliable publication queer.de. Unfortunately, these polls did not ask about voting motives.

An independent poll, conducted in Germany and Austria by GAY45.eu, anonymously surveyed users across various platforms, revealing a common undercurrent: Islamophobia and a pervasive fear of Islamic immigrants. Other media outlets revealed same reasons. In Austria, the situation takes a curious turn, with some respondents expressing a desire to restrict access for Romanian nationals along with migrants from Muslim-majority countries—despite Romania being a member of the European Union. The reasoning behind this sentiment often cited the perceived ‘unacceptable’ behaviour of Romanians, even as Austria’s economy heavily depends on East European immigrant labour. Studies indicate that without Romanian workers, particularly in lower-wage roles, Austria’s economy could face significant strain. For instance, in one Vienna hospital we surveyed, an estimated 90% of the nursing staff hail from Eastern Europe.

Voting for the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) raises questions, particularly in light of a recent controversy surrounding an election advertisement in which an FPÖ politician discarded a rainbow flag into a rubbish bin, as reported by Kurier. This incident prompts a critical question: Could the preference for right-wing populists among some gay men be linked to internalised queer-phobia, alongside the broader Islamophobia prevalent in Austria? Sounds like a strange affirmation, but my generation will remember the Asian-phobia in 90’s Europe.

As an interesting fact, Alice Weidel, co-chairwoman of AfD, Herbert Kickl leader of FPÖ and Viktor Orbán of Hungary, look up to and are inspired by Martin Sellner, the Austrian identitarian ideologist of the modern far-right. His politics remind me of Ernst Kaltenbrunner, a high-ranking SS official who became Chief of the Reich Main Security Office (RSHA) in 1943. He was one of the main organisers of the Holocaust. Martin Sellner’s ideology takes as its main objective ‘remigration’, which involves the mass deportation of immigrants and citizens who have non-local roots from Austria and Germany.

The latest issue of Der Spiegel  features a cover story on Herbert Kickl, the hardline leader of Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), who is eyeing electoral victory: ‘The ultra-right FPÖ leader Kickl wants to win the election. His topics: the fight against illegal migration, no weapons for Ukraine, less “gender madness” and “climate communism”. His role model: Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.’

It is hard for me, as a Dutch-born person living in Austria, not to remember too Arthur Seyss-Inquart, the former Chancellor of Austria and Reich Commissioner for the occupied Netherlands during World War II. Under his purview, 75 per cent of the Dutch Jewish and gay populations were killed, the highest number of killing among occupied countries. Nobody believed that will happen. Until it did.

So it was curious for me when I recently noticed a shopfront in Vienna proclaiming “MAGA: Make Austria Great Again.” Great in what way? Seyss-Inquart great? Imperial great? Nazi great? Donald Trump must be very proud of the European effects of his nationalist rhetoric on the other side of the Atlantic.

 

The migration debate in Austria and Germany

Aside from a brief pause during the recent flood disaster, migration has been a particularly contentious issue in the Austrian election campaign. The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) seeks to make the country a ‘fortress’, claiming that Austria faces a ‘new wave of migration’ and a rising threat from Islamism. The FPÖ’s programme’s title, ‘Fortress Austria, Fortress of Freedom‘ is self-explanatory.

In this climate, other political parties have also adopted a stricter stance on migration. Notably, even some liberal gay men have expressed concerns about increasing homophobia on the streets of Vienna. Yannick Shetty, an openly gay politician from the liberal Neos party, remarked in a newspaper interviews that he would refrain from displaying a rainbow flag in Vienna’s Favoriten district out of fear. Neos, known for its progressive platform, has garnered support among liberal-progressive Austrians and the LGBT community.

Favoriten is a large district in the south of Vienna with a particularly high proportion of people who were not born in Austria. Shetty is 29 years old and is jointly responsible for the issue of integration with the liberal Neos party. He was born in Vienna to an Indian father and an Austrian mother with Korean roots. The daily newspaper Die Presse called the gay politician a ‘pink admonisher and warner in the integration and migration debate’. In the weekly magazine Profil, Shetty said that as Integration Minister he would ensure ‘that it is not a problem anywhere in Austria to walk down the street as a homosexual with your partner’. According to Shetty, he has experienced or learnt of harassment himself. ‘In seven to eight out of ten cases, the perpetrators were from a migrant background,’ explained the politician. As a gay man, he wants to be able to walk through ‘migrant neighbourhoods’ – i.e. districts with a high proportion of people with a migrant background – without fear.

 

Hate crimes against LGBT people are mostly far-right in nature

It is true that anti-LGBTQ+ violence in Europe has reached a decade high, as reported by Politico. This trend extends to journalists as well. In Bratislava, the EU’s most violent capital, a journalist was executed in his home with a bullet to the head, and two individuals were shot dead outside a gay bar. It is important to note that none of the perpetrators were immigrants. In all cases they were Slovaks.

To avoid any misunderstandings, it is important to acknowledge that queer-phobic attacks in Austria and Germany can also be perpetrated by men from migrant backgrounds and by Islamist extremists. These crimes must be thoroughly investigated and prevented. Last year, police reported a foiled Islamist attack aimed at the Vienna Pride parade, leading to heightened security measures at this year’s event and within the Pride Village. Additionally, in August, Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna were cancelled due to threats of Islamist attacks. Even more concerning is the revelation that the CIA assisted in detaining the attackers, while the DSN (formerly known as the BVT, Austria’s intelligence service) acted at the last minute to prevent a potential disaster. These developments have understandably heightened public apprehension.

But do these subjective impressions indicate a broader trend? A fact-check provides clarity. In Austria, it is not individuals from migrant backgrounds, but rather queer-phobic Austrian men who are responsible for the majority of homophobic attacks. In July, the Austrian Interior Ministry released a report on hate crimes, revealing a significant rise in offenses targeting queer individuals. In 2023, the Austrian police recorded 446 hate crimes categorized under ‘sexual orientation’, marking a 20 percent increase compared to 2022. Notably, 87 percent of these incidents were homophobic in nature.

Fortunately, many suspects have been identified, with the police apprehending 348 individuals linked to these crimes. An analysis found that 90 percent of the suspects in homophobic hate crimes were men, with 72 percent identified as Austrian. It is believed that many of these Austrians have far-right affiliations. A new study on the public perception of Herbert Kickl, the leader of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), reveals that 60% of Austrians have a favourable view of him. While only 30% express an intention to vote for him, the findings indicate that he resonates with a significant portion of the population, reflecting a broader vision that appeals to many.

Similarly, in Germany, far-right groups frequently attempt to disrupt Pride events, as seen in Bautzen. The actual number of hate crimes is likely higher, as many queer individuals choose not to report incidents due to feelings of shame. Nevertheless, it is crucial to document each crime to understand and address the underlying issues.

 

The FPÖ and AfD calls for an end to the ‘rainbow cult’

As Austria approaches next Sunday’s election, the potential implications of FPÖ policies on LGBTQ+ rights have become a point of serious concern for human rights advocates and members of the queer community alike.

If queer people are voting for the FPÖ or AfD out of frustration or protest, they should also consider the consequences.

The recent analysis I mentioned suggests that almost 30% queer voters in Austria may be considering casting protest votes for the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ). However, political observers warn that such a move could have severe consequences for LGBT rights in the country.

The FPÖ has consistently demonstrated a queer-phobic stance, with party leader Herbert Kickl recently dismissing Vienna’s rainbow parade as a ‘publicly celebrated rainbow cult.‘  In an interview with the daily newspaper Heute, Kickl stated, ‘Anyone who is open to everything, is not quite right in the head’, highlighting the party’s opposition to LGBT events. An insightful op-ed in Der Standard highlights the FPÖ’s stance on LGBT issues and make it clear how the party thinks about queer people.

The party’s election programme calls for an end to what it terms the ‘rainbow cult’ and ‘queer experiments.’ It advocates for a constitutional amendment recognising only two genders in Austria and opposes what it describes as ‘constant transgender brainwashing’.

FPÖ’s manifesto asserts that ‘[t]he traditional family of father and mother is indisputably the best environment for children to grow up in safety.‘ The party has expressed concerns about educational materials discussing gender diversity, stating they are ‘committed to protecting our children and strongly oppose indoctrination with transgender ideology.’

The party’s stance has been further illustrated by incidents such as FPÖ candidate Michael Gruber, a member of the Upper Austrian state parliament, posting an image on Facebook of a rainbow flag being thrown into a bin.

However, the FPÖ makes no secret of its queerphobic stance, as countless incidents over the past months and years show. For example, the FPÖ vehemently opposes rainbow parades. In an interview with the daily newspaper Heute on the occasion of this year’s parade in Vienna, FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl said he saw no value in the ‘publicly celebrated rainbow cult as a supposed expression of particular modernity and openness.‘ According to Kickl: ‘If you’re open to everything, you’re not all there’. Another FPÖ politician described a rainbow parade as a ‘sign of decadence’, queer.de reported. Hungary, where queer people are massively discriminated against and LGBTQ+ books are forbidden, serves as a model for the FPÖ.

In the FPÖ’s election programme, the party calls for an end to the ‘rainbow cult’ and the abolition of ‘queer experiments’. The party demands a constitutional amendment that would recognise only two genders in Austria. It opposes the ‘constant transgender brainwashing, which ultimately aims to erode our social foundations’. The party programme states: ‘[t]he traditional family of father and mother is indisputably the best environment for children to grow up in safety. Anyone who believes that the number of genders can be set arbitrarily or that gender can be changed at will disregards the essence of humanity’, say the right-wing populists. ‘In Germany, textbooks for primary school children are already being recommended, teaching that there are more than two genders and that transsexuality is completely normal’, the FPÖ warns. ‘We are committed to protecting our children and strongly oppose indoctrination with transgender ideology’.

I have been reading recently in queer.de an article dedicated to far-right influence in the queer community and the legacy of FPÖ politican Jörg Hauder: ‘In this context, a look back at the FPÖ’s history and its longstanding leader Jörg Haider cannot be ignored. He died in October 2008 and was one of the most successful right-wing populists in Europe for a long time. Many media found it difficult to thematise Haider’s sexuality. “Haider’s gay? Who wants to know?” once asked the bourgeois Viennese daily newspaper Die Presse. The weekly magazine Profil added: “How to deal with an exceptional politician who spent the last hours of his life getting drunk almost to the point of senselessness in a gay pub?” ’

Haider died in a car accident after leaving a gay bar, highly intoxicated.

The remark speaks for itself: ‘exceptional politician’. A strange affirmation to make about a man who once so frightened the entirety of Europe. Let’s briefly remember the year 2000, when FPÖ came second place in the general elections with Haider as leader. 14 EU member states imposed coordinated bilateral sanctions against Austria, diplomatic relations with Austria were downgraded to a technical level, support for Austrian candidates for international organisation posts was withdrawn, some countries even cut off educational and cultural exchanges. That is what the ‘exceptional politician’ brought to the country. Herbert Kickl is worse. He is not a hidden gay like Haider, and he will take action against LGBT community.

A former FPÖ member of parliament in Vienna said at an event about the FPÖ and Haider, as reported by queer.de: ‘We are the only party that was led by a gay man for 17 years. Everyone knew that.’ For the Homosexual Initiative Vienna (Hosi Vienna), one thing is certain: ‘Jörg Haider was simply too cowardly to be openly gay!’ Remarkable again how Haider is described by LGBT representatives, quoted by queer.de. The only problem was not being open, not the terrible things he did to the country.

 

Instead of a conclusion, a Pink Triangle

For those who forgot, the pink triangle is a powerful symbol.

Austria is a unique country where the far-right is often viewed as a viable option, being in the Government, with interruptions, since 2000. This contrasts with Germany, where the far-right never was in power, and the support is less widespread, though recent electoral gains in Eastern Germany have raised concerns. Like Austria, Switzerland has historically been unwelcoming to foreigners, while Hungary was once the most cherished part of the Austrian Empire. The emergence of a far-right bloc with shared borders should alarm any open-minded and concerned citizen.

Why should the rest of Europe be worried? As I stated, because of the emergence of a far-right bloc with shared borders. And because gay people, historically brutalised and killed in Nazi camps by SS officers, are now supporting a party founded by those very same SS officers.

Danny Tye, a political analyst and journalist for Red Riding and GAY45, wrote to me: ‘While it is easy to consider belonging to the LGBT community and supporting far-right politics to be mutually exclusive, the rise in support for the right amongst queer Europeans is in fact a reflection of, or a response to our improved socioeconomic position over recent years. As gay people have become, to a certain extent, normalised into mainstream society, we have grown to adopt many of the same bourgeois attitudes as the straight majority. Fewer LGBT people live, predetermined by circumstance, in the radical fringe. The key constituencies of fascist support — business-owners, homeowners, and concerned suburbanites amongst others — no longer totally exclude queer people. Thus many queer people now feel safe to prioritise their economic interests over their self-preservation instincts as a sexual minority, which makes them vulnerable to far-right propaganda. As well, as academics have elaborated in the study of homonationalism, Western political culture has long endeavoured to juxtapose queer people and immigrants — particularly those from Muslim-majority nations — as natural enemies, and portray the latter as a danger to the former. Positing the West as the only safe territory for queer people allows the far-right to manipulate us into becoming concerned about “anti-Western” threats, with immigration chief amongst them’.

UPDATE 27.09.2024: A couple of days after publishing our op-ed, it was referenced by several major media outlets and shared on social media by hundreds of accounts. Coincidentally, at the same time, Politico and  Der Spiegel published on a similar topic, underlining the corrupt far-right parties and the wide support they enjoy these days.

UPDATE 29.09.2024: The far right FPÖ won the most votes in the Austrian election for the first time since the Nazi era. The pro-Kremlin, anti-Islam FPÖ won 29.2% of votes, beating the ruling ÖVP of the chancellor, Karl Nehammer, into second place on 26.5%. Migrant groups have expressed fear for the future in Austria, which critics say has failed to fully own up to its Nazi past and role in the Holocaust.

Special thanks for contributing and supporting the research to Jude Jones, the acting Editor-in-Chief of GAY45.

_ _ _

Cover image: Illustration by GAY45. Images with Alice Weidel of AfD, Herbert Kickl leader of FPÖ and Martin Sellner, the Austrian ideologist for most of the far-right parties, were obtained from press agencies.

_ _ _ 

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons (CC) license and can be reproduced without permission under the condition that the source GAY45.eu  is mentioned.

This article draws on information from Reuters, AFP, taz, queer.de, Romeo.com, Süddeutsche Zeitung, The Guardian, Liberation, and Der Standard. 

Election results were obtained from each country’s respective electoral offices, while research and opinion poll data were sourced from the polling companies mentioned. The information regarding the figures where obtained from Germany and Austria’s institutions.

Translations from German for accuracy were carried out using DeepL.com.

– – –

GAY45 is committed to publishing a diversity of articles, prose, and poetry. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. And here’s our email if you want to send a letter: [email protected].

– – –

TODAY IS NOT AN EASY DAY

Queer press and books are forced into silence.

But we have something powerful on our side.

We’ve got you. You make us strong.

GAY45 is funded by readers. Our editors decide what we publish—no one else.

Donate as much as you can.

Every 5€ is a way to help the community, the independent press and fight against silence.

GAY45 is Europe’s leading queer magazine of culture, politics and ideas. Because of you.

You can donate to support our Queer Journalism Campus and GAY45 now.

We appreciate it. Thanks for reading.