In authoritarianism, dictators come for LGBTQ+ people first. Here's why.https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/10/in-authoritarianism-dictators-come-for-lgbtq-people-first-heres-why/ 🔗Sam Donndelinger, Spencer Macnaughton, and Jelinda Montes, Uncloseted Media (23 Oct 2025)
On Saturday, independent analysts estimated that the No Kings March drew between 5 and 8 million people, and organizers say over 7 million people attended 2,700 events across all 50 states. The event, which was organized to push against the rise of authoritarianism in the U.S., was the largest single-day protest in America since 1970.
Among the crowd were countless LGBTQ people, fighting back against an administration that has introduced a litany of anti-LGBTQ executive orders and used vile rhetoric to denigrate queer people. This backsliding of LGBTQ rights, according to experts, has a deep connection to authoritarianism, with research showing that when governments weaken protections for queer and trans people, they often turn to broader democratic institutions next.
"Threats to democratic institutions and threats to LGBTQ rights are mutually reinforcing, generating a vicious cycle that strengthens authoritarian control," Ari Shaw, director of International Programs at the Williams Institute, told Uncloseted Media. "Increased persecution of minority groups, including LGBTI people, is itself evidence of democratic backsliding by indicating the erosion of liberal democratic norms [meant to protect] minority rights."
... when a country with relatively high acceptance of LGBTQ rights introduces anti-LGBTQ legislation, it clashes with what most people believe and can weaken public trust in democracy, deepen political divides, and make it easier for populist or extremist movements to gain power.
"The level of acceptance of LGBTQ people is closely associated with the strength of democracy in a country," Shaw says. "In some cases, we even saw that rising anti-LGBTQ rhetoric or policies preceded a broader decline in democracy."
