Not Just a Culture War: A Coordinated Attack on Identity
It rarely starts with a bang. More often, it creeps in through legal language, veiled rhetoric about “family values,” and the quiet decisions that shape who gets seen – and who gets erased. What we’re witnessing today in the UK, Hungary, and even on the shimmering stages of America’s music festivals isn’t coincidental. It’s connected. It’s coordinated. And it’s part of a growing global movement to restrict, redefine, and repress queer existence.
In the UK, the Supreme Court recently delivered a ruling that stripped away a layer of legal recognition from trans women. “Sex is binary... a person is either a woman or a man,” the court wrote in an 88-page judgment that concludes nearly seven years of legal campaigning by the anti-trans organization For Women Scotland . Though framed as a matter of legal interpretation, the ruling’s impact is deeply political. It reinforces a worldview where lived gender identity is secondary to biology, and where trans women are denied legal personhood. It hands power to those who want to police identity through legislation, and it reflects a larger culture war where trans lives are positioned as a threat rather than a reality.
Travel east, and the picture grows even darker. In Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government has just pushed through sweeping constitutional amendments that explicitly target LGBTQ+ rights. One amendment declares gender immutable and biologically determined, effectively erasing trans and intersex identities from the law. Another allows the state to ban Pride parades and similar public expressions of queerness, under the banner of “child protection”. This isn’t new ground for Hungary. Since 2021, books, films, and educational materials referencing homosexuality or nontraditional families have been banned for minors. Same-sex couples are barred from adopting. Now, even attending a Pride event could result in a fine of up to 500 euros. What’s being sold as “protecting children” is, in truth, the institutional silencing of queer life.
But this wave of repression isn’t limited to politics and law. Even in places that pride themselves on progressiveness – like Coachella, the glittering epicenter of pop culture – there’s a more uncomfortable story beneath the surface. The festival has become known for its long list of LGBTQ+ artists. And yet, the company behind the festival is owned by billionaire Philip Anschutz, who has a well-documented history of donating to organizations that actively oppose LGBTQ+ rights. Groups like the Alliance Defending Freedom, National Christian Foundation, and the National Republican Congressional Committee have received financial support from Anschutz’s foundation.This contradiction is a symbol of a more general hypocrisy: queer expression is celebrated when it's profitable – but the systems that fund that celebration often undermine the very rights of the people on stage. It’s rainbow capitalism with a reactionary spine.
What’s unfolding in the UK, Hungary, and the U.S. may seem like separate stories – different countries, different laws, different stages. But they are connected by a common thread: a growing global movement that seeks to tighten control over identity, silence dissent, and undo decades of progress in queer rights. Whether it's a court ruling that defines gender through biology, a constitution that outlaws public expressions of queerness, or a festival funded by those who quietly bankroll anti-LGBTQ+ agendas – these aren't isolated incidents. They're part of a shared strategy. The tactics may differ, but the goal is the same: to reassert power by marginalizing those who threaten traditional hierarchies.This isn’t just a clash of ideologies – it’s a coordinated campaign playing out across institutions, industries, and borders. And queer people, once again, are being used as a political wedge – scapegoated to rally votes, create fear, and maintain control.
To recognize these connections is to understand that resistance, too, must be global. The fight for queer liberation doesn’t end at any nation’s borders. It’s a shared front – one that demands not only visibility, but vigilance, solidarity, and the unwavering defense of our right to exist.
