Understanding and Transforming Divisions around Sexuality, Gender and Abortion
Creators: name: Browne, Kath
name: Ballantine, Carol
name: McCartan, Andrew
name: Schilling, Theresa
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: polarisation
gender
sexualities
positionalities
LGBTQ
anti-gender
Queer methodologies
Feminist methodologies

description: Summary:

Polarisation is a key issue of our time, and is increasingly focused on gender, sexuality and/or abortion, areas where rights have advanced for some in the 21st century. Beyond Opposition is a project that seeks to develop understandings about the experiences of these divisions, and experiment in living together where we cannot change everyone’s mind. 

Exploring the experiences of those opposed to or concerned about social and legal changes to gender, sexuality and/or abortion, 161 interviews were held with people living in Ireland, Canada and Great Britain. The interviews found that: 





Those who are opposed to or concerned about socio-legal changes to gender, sexuality and/or abortion are not all the same, and are not all rightwing




Everyday lives can be affected by holding these positions, particularly at work and home 




Some participants were very careful about where they went and what they said regarding their positions on gender, sexuality and/or abortion




Participants said that they found support and developed their activisms because of their experiences, including confrontations




Negative experiences can embolden and entrench positions that oppose socio-legal changes on gender, sexuality and/or abortion



Bringing people together across divisions around gender, sexuality and/or abortion, three discussion groups (n. 39) and three creative artist-led workshops (n. 35 using visual art, sound and theatre) were carefully created in Dublin, Vancouver and Glasgow. These events brought people together to imagine new worlds in which to live and create across division, without changing minds or debating the issues. The discussion groups and artist-led workshops found that:





It is possible to bring some, but not all, people together in workshops that include those who disagree with you on gender, sexuality and/or abortion




There is a desire to engage beyond division and polarisation around gender, sexuality and/or abortion 




The ideal worlds we want to live in are sometimes incompatible with diverging positions on gender, sexuality and/or abortion




Art can be used in ways that work across division in gender, sexuality and/or abortion 




Through curating research via the imperfectutopias.eu virtual exhibition, the project seeks to spark conversations and experiences beyond reporting on findings
description: This publication is part of a project that has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. (Grant agreement No. 817897)

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Project name: Beyond Opposition: Opposing Sexual and Gender Rights, Transforming Everyday Spaces

For more information, visit https://beyondopposition.org/