Abstract
Lesbian and gay rights are increasingly included in the self-presentation of Western nations. Critics label this as 'homonationalism', pointing out how inclusion in the national ingroup comes at the price of normativity and the exclusion of (presumably) homophobic 'others', mostly originating or situated in the East or South. This project aims to contribute to existing scholarship by systematically analyzing homonationalist discourses and counter-discourses, focusing on Flanders as a specific (sub)national context, and exploring the role of media in circulating such discourses. The main research question is: To what degree and how do homonationalist discourses and counter-discourses ¬circulate in Flemish media? Sub-questions and related work packages focus on (1) the prevalence of homonationalist discourses in Flemish newspapers and news sites, (2) the characteristics of these discourses, and (3) the way such discourses circulate across legacy media (in particular newspapers), owned media (e.g. political party publications) and social media (Facebook and Twitter). Focusing on the contemporary Flemish situation, we use a mixed-method design combining quantitative content analysis with critical discourse analysis. As to data, we move from a one-year sample of all reporting on homosexuality (1), through a more focused sample of homonationalist discourses during that same year (2), to a few 'discursive moments' for which we complement legacy media with owned and social media.
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