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Koen Slootmaeckers

City, University of London, Department of International Politics, Faculty Member

KU Leuven, LINES - Leuven International and European Studies, Free Research Associate

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Koen Slootmaeckers is Reader in International Politics at the Department of International Politics at City, University of London. He has a background in sociology (BSc and MSc from Ghent University (Belgium)), and received his PhD in Political Science from Queen Mary University of London. Koen is also affiliated with Leuven International and European Studies (LINES) at the KU Leuven (Belgium).
His research deals with the EU enlargement process and sexual politics in candidate countries. More specifically, Koen has studied the EU accession of Serbia and how this process affects LGBT politics and activism. More generally, Koen’s research interest is the ‘(international) political sociology of the Other’, a topic which he approaches from different perspectives, including European studies, nationalism and conflict studies, neo-colonialism, gender and sexuality studies, with a specific interest for topics dealing with masculinities and LGBT issues.
His work has been widely published, including a (co-)edited volume ‘EU Enlargement and Gay Politics’ (Palgrave 2016; with Heleen Touquet and Peter Vermeersch), and articles in, amongst others, East European Politics, Sociologos, Politics, Contemporary Southeastern Europe, Journal of Homosexuality, and Europe-Asia Studies.
Phone: +447918640906
Address: Queen Mary, University of London
School for Politics and International Relations
Mile End Road
London E1 4NS
United Kingdom

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Books by Koen Slootmaeckers

Coming in: Sexual Politics and EU accession in Serbia

LGBT rights have become increasingly salient within the EU enlargement process as a litmus test f... more LGBT rights have become increasingly salient within the EU enlargement process as a litmus test for Europeanness. Yet, the promotion of these norms has provided a fulcrum for political contestation. Based on this observation, this book interrogates the normative dimensions of the EU enlargement process, with special reference to LGBT politics. Reconceptualising Europeanisation, Coming in argues that the EU enlargement is a process of negotiated transformation in which EU policies and norms are (re)defined, translated, and transformed. Empirically, it analyses the promotion of and resistance to LGBT equality norms in Serbia's EU integration process, but moves beyond policies to also inquire the impact of the negotiated transitions on lived experiences. Overall, the book raises important questions about the politics of Europeanisation, its political and social consequences, as well as to what we consider as progress.

Edited Books by Koen Slootmaeckers

The EU Enlargement and Gay Politics: The Impact of Eastern Enlargement on Rights, Activism and Prejudice

by Koen Slootmaeckers and Peter Vermeersch

This book offers a well-investigated and accessible picture of the current situation around the p... more This book offers a well-investigated and accessible picture of the current situation around the politics of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) rights and activism in Central Europe and the Western Balkans in the context of the enlargement of the European Union (EU). It provides not only thoughtful reflections on the topic but also a wealth of new empirical findings — arising from legal and policy analysis, large-scale sociological investigations and country case studies. Theoretical concepts come from institutional analysis, the study of social movements, law, and Europeanization literature. The book discusses emerging Europe-wide activism for LGBT rights and analyzes such issues as the tendency of nationalist movements to turn ‘sexual others’ into ‘national others,’ the actions and rhetoric of church actors as powerful counter-mobilizers against LGBT rights, and the role of the domestic state on the receiving end of EU pressure in the field of fundamental rights.

Papers by Koen Slootmaeckers

The unexpected politics of ILGA-Europe’s rainbow maps: (de)constructing queer utopias/dystopias

European Journal of Politics and Gender, 2024

Recently, we have seen a proliferation of maps visualising the global state of lesbian, gay, bise... more Recently, we have seen a proliferation of maps visualising the global state of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, plus (LGBTQI+) rights. While they represent a productive advocacy tool for activists, we critically examine the politics embedded and reinforced by the way maps and indices are constructed and represented. By exploring the discrepancies between ILGA-Europe’s rainbow maps and the lived experiences of LGBTQI+ people within Europe, we argue that these maps reproduce hierarchies often mediated by Eurocentric understandings of linear progress while discounting the importance that an interpenetration of legal and social aspects has in evaluating national contexts in which LGBTQI+ persons live. The emphasis on legislative frameworks, thus, in part displaces lived experiences of LGBTQI+ people in Europe, projecting both queer utopias and dystopias onto different geographical localities and feeding into existing homonationalist discourses. With such findings, we argue against the fetishisation of legislation within LGBTQI+ activism and academia.

The Dislocation of LGBT Politics: Pride, Globalization, and Geo-Temporality in Uganda and Serbia

by Koen Slootmaeckers and MJ Bosia (They/Them)

International Political Sociology, 2023

Scholars consider the translatability and efficacy of “western” LGBT politics as they diffuse, bu... more Scholars consider the translatability and efficacy of “western” LGBT politics as they diffuse, but pay little attention to the role of its histories and cultures as geo-temporal phenomena. Focusing on Pride events, this article demonstrates how such oversights inhibit a full account of the widely diverse impacts of similar actions in different places. We explore the ways in which Pride events, as a mode of activism, go global and integrate in vastly different contexts: Serbia and Uganda. Paying particular attention to acts of violence and the instrumentalization of Pride as geopolitical, we argue that divergent outcomes connect to the diffusion of Pride as creative of geo-temporal dislocations of politics and history. Incorporating the concept of extraversion, we demonstrate that the intertwining of the domestic and international facilitates the transformation of politics in terms of foreseen outcomes and unintended consequences. Overall, we propose a framework that advances an understanding of homophobic and homophilic politics as instrumentalizations of geo-temporal dislocations that underpin the global fight for LGBT rights. As a challenge to the progress narrative nearly intrinsic to western international relations, this approach is useful to explore processes that shape other types of transnational politics, such as democracy, climate change, and peace movements.

Unpacking Normative Resonance: The Attitudinal Panopticon and the Implementation Gap of LGBT Rights in Serbia

Social Politics, 2022

Although equality policies have been promoted by the European Union in its enlargement process, t... more Although equality policies have been promoted by the European Union in its enlargement process, their implementation often remains weak. While normative resonance is considered as a key factor for their proper implementation, why it matters remains theoretically underexplored. Addressing this gap, the article develops the notion of the attitudinal panopticon. Through the analysis of the implementation gap of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights in Serbia, I demonstrate how the lack of normative resonance and social change becomes a disciplining environment that prevents people from using equality measures out of fear of further and more severe violations of their rights.

Constructing European Union Identity through LGBT Equality Promotion: Crises and Shifting Othering Processes in the European Union Enlargement

The EU sees itself as a beacon of LGBT-friendliness and seeks to promote these norms in its exter... more The EU sees itself as a beacon of LGBT-friendliness and seeks to promote these norms in its external relations. However, such identity claims and norm promotion are inherently political and should be critically examined as such. Taking a relational approach, this article conceptualises and examines the Othering processes within the EU enlargement to highlight the political nature of what is often described as a technocratic. Through exploring the triangulation of the EU enlargement, Othering processes, and crises, it is argued that 1) the use of LGBT rights as a measure of Europeanness is based on a longer tradition of defining the EU’s symbolic boundaries, but that 2) it is in perceived moments of crisis that the EU redraws and strengthens the boundaries between the Self and the different type of Others through changing combinations of Othering mechanisms. Finally, the article also argues that LGBT rights promotion is not only a tool in constructing the EU’s identity but also a source of an identity crisis, as is shown by the rise of anti-gender politics.

Nationalism as competing masculinities: Homophobia as a technology of Othering for hetero- and homonationalism

How are masculinity and nationalism intertwined? This question has received scant theoretical att... more How are masculinity and nationalism intertwined? This question has received scant theoretical attention, and existing theories tent to focus on their shared ideals and are embedded in a heteronormative, homophobic and patriarchal framework. Such views imply a static relationship between both phenomena, and are incompatible with the recent phenomenon of homonationalism and the incorporation of some homosexual bodies within the nation. Addressing this theoretical gap, this article develops a more holistic framework of the relationship between nationalism and masculinity. Drawing on relational sociology, it conceptualises nationalism as competing masculinities. It argues that the link between masculinities and nationalism is not found in their overlapping substantive ideals, but rather that the two phenomena are co-constructed through their overlapping Othering processes. The proposed theoretical framework does not only provide a more dynamic understanding of the link between masculinity and nationalism, but it also helps to overcomes the apparent duality between homonationalism and heteronationalism. It is shown that both phenomena are in fact two sides of the same coin, with the main difference between them being the location of homophobia as a technology of Othering within different type of Self/Other relations. Overall, the article provides an analytical tool that allows for the contextualisation and understanding of seemingly contradicting features of nationalism and its relationship to masculinity.

Europeanization of Attitudes Towards Homosexuality: Exploring the Role of Education in the Transnational Diffusion of Values

How does exposure to EU integration affect social attitudes in third countries, and what is the r... more How does exposure to EU integration affect social attitudes in third countries, and what is the role of education in this process? These questions matter because the EU aspires to be not only a regulatory regime but also a community of values. Addressing both the common elision of attitudes and the underappreciation of education in Europeanization research, this article analyses the EU’s impact on attitudes towards homosexuality in third countries via national education systems. This article offers not only an exposition of how we can expand our theoretical framework to include the transmission of values; its empirical findings demonstrate the need for this exercise, as some of the literature’s underlying assumptions are shown to be unsupported.

The litmus test of pride: analysing the emergence of the Belgrade “Ghost” pride in the context of EU accession

East European Politics, 2017

The transformation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights into a “standard for ... more The transformation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights into a “standard for civilisation” has not been without consequences. With LGBT Pride parades becoming a symbol for Europeanness in the European Union (EU) accession process, this article asks how the litmus test character of Belgrade Pride has transformed LGBT politics in Serbia. Empirically, the analysis provides an in-depth analysis of how Serbia’s EU accession process has shaped the politics of Belgrade Pride between 2001 and 2015 and vice versa. It is argued that the international symbolic usage of Pride is no innocent practice as it has foreclosed its local politicality. Indeed, whilst Belgrade Pride became politicised as a litmus test in the EU accession process, domestically it developed into an apolitical ritualised event devoid of LGBT politics.

Gedifferentieerde dreiging en het ontstaan van vooroordelen: Anti-immigranten attitudes, islamofobie, antisemitisme en homonegativiteit vergeleken

Deze bijdrage stelt dat een te eenzijdige aandacht voor de veralgemeende component van vooroordel... more Deze bijdrage stelt dat een te eenzijdige aandacht voor de veralgemeende component van vooroordelen een obstakel vormt om de structuur en genese van vooroordelen tegenover speci eke groepen te begrijpen. We stellen een model van gedifferentieerde dreiging voor dat toelaat het particuliere karakter van speci- eke vooroordelen te conceptualiseren en te toetsen. Deze benadering postuleert dat verschillende uitgroepen diverse economische en culturele belangen uitdagen, en dat deze speci eke bedreigingen diverse socio-economische lagen en culturele segmenten van de bevolking in verschillende mate treffen. Vervolgens passen we het model van gedifferentieerde dreiging toe om de houdingen van autochtone Belgen tegenover immigranten, moslims, joden en homoseksuelen te analyseren. De resultaten tonen aan dat het inderdaad mogelijk is om een gemeenschappe- lijke component in de diverse vooroordelen te onderscheiden. Maar tegelijkertijd bevatten de onderscheiden vooroordelen elk een relevante, unieke component
die op verschillende wijze samenhangt met structurele kenmerken en attitudes. Traditionele genderopvattingen, bijvoorbeeld, hebben tegelijkertijd een ver- sterkend effect op homonegativiteit en een temperende invloed op islamofobie. Gevoelens van relatieve deprivatie zijn dan weer sterker gerelateerd met islamo- fobie dan met andere vormen van vooroordeel en hebben helemaal geen impact op homonegativiteit. Religiositeit speelt een meer beslissende rol in de formatie van antisemitisme en homonegativiteit dan het geval is bij andere vooroordelen. Anti-immigrantenattitudes, ten slotte, vertonen een klassegradiënt die afwezig is bij de overige vooroordelen. Deze resultaten tonen aan dat de vooroordelen te- genover speci eke uitgroepen niet begrepen kunnen worden zonder aandacht te besteden aan contextuele factoren, zoals sociale posities, de aard van intergroeps- relaties, machtsevenwichten en elitediscoursen.

Marrying European and Domestic Politics? The Marriage Referendum in Croatia and Value-Based Euroscepticism

Europe-Asia Studies, 2018

On 1 December 2013, Croatia voted in a referendum on the constitutional definition of marriage. W... more On 1 December 2013, Croatia voted in a referendum on the constitutional definition of marriage. Whilst recent scholarship highlighted the symbolism nature of the referendum in domestic politics, its European dimension has not been reflected on. Using Leconte's notion of value-based Euroscepticism this article explores the role of European politics in the marriage referendum, using electoral data at the municipal level. As the analysis demonstrates that the referendum, at least partly, was a proactive attempt to halt the Europeanisation of same-sex marriage, the article also sheds light on local resistance to EU's homonationalist politics.

Queer to be kind: Exploring Western media discourses about the “Eastern bloc” during the 2007 and 2014 Eurovision Song Contests

by Alexej Ulbricht, Indraneel Sircar, and Koen Slootmaeckers

This article examines the voting results and Western European media coverage of the 2007 and 2014... more This article examines the voting results and Western European media coverage of the 2007 and 2014 Eurovision Song Contests. The Austrian drag act Conchita Wurst (the alter ego of an openly gay man) won in 2014, whilst Serbian entrant Marija Šerifović, portrayed in Western European media as lesbian at the time, won in 2007. We first explore the extent to which there was an East-West voting divide in both contests. In 2014, while there was some elite hostility against Conchita in Eastern Europe, the popular support was on a similar level to that in Western Europe. In 2007, we find no significant geographic divide in support for Šerifović. However, when we examine mainstream UK and German media coverage during and after both contests, we find strong anti-Eastern European discourses that are at odds with the similarity in the public voting. We employ the concept of homonationalism to interrogate inconsistent Western media discourses: the East was depicted as a site of homophobia and the West as a site of tolerance in 2014, whilst the queer aesthetic / identity of Šerifović was largely overlooked in 2007.

Cultural Capital and Attitudes toward Homosexuals: Exploring the Relation between Lifestyles and Homonegativity

by Koen Slootmaeckers and John Lievens

This article explores the potential of cultural capital as explanatory factor in understanding ho... more This article explores the potential of cultural capital as explanatory factor in understanding homonegativity. Building on recent findings suggesting the need for a cultural component in understanding homonegativity, this article explores the relation between lifestyles (the measurable expression of cultural capital) and homonegativity. Using the “Social-Cultural changes in Flanders 2006” survey (a population-wide survey in Flanders, the northern part of Belgium), we observed that homonegativity is lowest in lifestyle clusters where cultural capital is higher. This effect, furthermore, is maintained even after controlling for other homonegativity correlates. These results suggest that cultural capital, expressed by lifestyles, is a valuable addition to the understanding of homonegativity.

Editors’ Introduction to the Thematic Issue: Mad about Methods? Teaching Research Methods in Political Science

by Johan Adriaensen, Bart. Kerremans, and Koen Slootmaeckers

Journal of Political Science Education, 2015

ABSTRACT In the introduction to this collection of articles on the teaching of research methods w... more ABSTRACT In the introduction to this collection of articles on the teaching of research methods we present a concise framework that helps to situate the many challenges encountered in the teaching practice along with their potential remedies. Through a focus on the professor, the student, and the context in which both interact, we situate the various innovations presented by our contributors in the wider literature. The introduction concludes with a summary of the studies included in this special issue.

Too Afraid to Learn: Attitudes towards Statistics as a Barrier to Learning Statistics and to Acquiring Quantitative Skills

by Koen Slootmaeckers, Bart. Kerremans, and Johan Adriaensen

Quantitative skills are important for studying and understanding social reality. Political scienc... more Quantitative skills are important for studying and understanding social reality. Political science students, however, experience difficulties in acquiring and retaining such skills. Fear of statistics has often been listed among the major causes for this problem. This study aims at understanding the underlying factors for this anxiety and proposes a potential remedy. More specifically, we advocate the integration of quantitative material into non-methodological courses. After assessing the influence of dispositional, course-related and person-related factors on the attitudes towards statistics among political science students, we provide insights into the relation between these attitudes on the one hand and the learning and retention of statistics skills on the other. Our results indicate that a curriculum-wide approach to normalise the use of quantitative methods can not only foster interest in statistics but also foster retention of the acquired skills.

Diabetic foot care and prevention in Senegal: adding an extra dimension to the Step-by-Step model

Every 30 seconds, a lower limb is amputated as a result of diabetes; of all the amputations in th... more Every 30 seconds, a lower limb is amputated as a result of diabetes; of all the amputations in the world, about 70% are suffered by people with diabetes -foot ulceration being a key factor in developing regions. Yet these amputations can be prevented. As well as medical factors, numerous social and socio-environmental issues affect the development of diabetic foot problems. This report focuses on Africa-specific factors. Although in Africa neuropathy is a major contributing factor, it is not the only one: even a simple injury that becomes infected can be a precursor to amputation. The authors reflect on some of the factors affecting diabetes care in Senegal, and make some suggestions for improvements in the prevention and management of the diabetic foot.

Diabetic foot care and prevention in senegal: adding an extra dimension to the step-by-step model

Every 30 seconds, a lower limb is amputated as a result of diabetes; of all the amputations in th... more Every 30 seconds, a lower limb is amputated as a result of diabetes; of all the amputations in the world, about 70% are suffered by people with diabetes – foot ulceration being a key factor in developing regions. Yet these amputations can be prevented. As well as medical factors, numerous social and socio-environmental issues affect the development of diabetic foot problems. This report focuses on Africa-specific factors. Although in Africa neuropathy is a major contributing factor, it is not the only one: even a simple injury that becomes infected can be a precursor to amputation. The authors reflect on some of the factors affecting diabetes care in Senegal, and make some suggestions for improvements in the prevention and management of the diabetic foot.

Book Chapters by Koen Slootmaeckers

The Europeanization and Politicization of LGBT Rights in Serbia

The Routledge International Handbook to Gender in Central-Eastern Europe and Eurasia, 2021

The co-evolution of EU’s Eastern Enlargement and LGBT politics: An ever gayer Union?

This chapter studies the place of LGBT rights within the Enlargement process from the 1990s onwar... more This chapter studies the place of LGBT rights within the Enlargement process from the 1990s onwards. In the first part of this chapter we trace how fundamental rights and LGBT rights in particular became an important element of the EU enlargement process in the last decades. Focusing on the EU institutions, especially the European Commission and the Council of the European Union, we highlight how EU policies and strategies have changed over the different iterations of the EU Eastern Enlargement. The second part of the chapter focuses on what we identify as two turning points in this process: the fifth and sixth Enlargements. We ask the question of what has been the impact of the accession to the EU on LGBT rights Central and Eastern European and Croatia. In conclusion, we evaluate the prospects for LGBT rights in the Western Balkans countries still in the accession process.

Introduction: EU Enlargement and LGBT Rights: Beyond Symbolism?

by Koen Slootmaeckers and Peter Vermeersch

This chapter provides an insight into the aims, background, concepts and structure of the book. T... more This chapter provides an insight into the aims, background, concepts and structure of the book. The aim of this book is to explore the impact of the EU enlargement on the experiences of Central European and Balkan LGBT populations, and by extension on the political and legal contexts in which these populations live and claim rights. A little over a decade since the first Eastern EU enlargement, we believe it is high time to analyze the impact of this process in the recent member states in Central Europe as well as to take stock of the lessons learned for the Western Balkans. The chapter places the EU enlargement politics around LGBT issues in the broader context of LGBT rights in the larger world.

Coming in: Sexual Politics and EU accession in Serbia

LGBT rights have become increasingly salient within the EU enlargement process as a litmus test f... more LGBT rights have become increasingly salient within the EU enlargement process as a litmus test for Europeanness. Yet, the promotion of these norms has provided a fulcrum for political contestation. Based on this observation, this book interrogates the normative dimensions of the EU enlargement process, with special reference to LGBT politics. Reconceptualising Europeanisation, Coming in argues that the EU enlargement is a process of negotiated transformation in which EU policies and norms are (re)defined, translated, and transformed. Empirically, it analyses the promotion of and resistance to LGBT equality norms in Serbia's EU integration process, but moves beyond policies to also inquire the impact of the negotiated transitions on lived experiences. Overall, the book raises important questions about the politics of Europeanisation, its political and social consequences, as well as to what we consider as progress.

The EU Enlargement and Gay Politics: The Impact of Eastern Enlargement on Rights, Activism and Prejudice

by Koen Slootmaeckers and Peter Vermeersch

This book offers a well-investigated and accessible picture of the current situation around the p... more This book offers a well-investigated and accessible picture of the current situation around the politics of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) rights and activism in Central Europe and the Western Balkans in the context of the enlargement of the European Union (EU). It provides not only thoughtful reflections on the topic but also a wealth of new empirical findings — arising from legal and policy analysis, large-scale sociological investigations and country case studies. Theoretical concepts come from institutional analysis, the study of social movements, law, and Europeanization literature. The book discusses emerging Europe-wide activism for LGBT rights and analyzes such issues as the tendency of nationalist movements to turn ‘sexual others’ into ‘national others,’ the actions and rhetoric of church actors as powerful counter-mobilizers against LGBT rights, and the role of the domestic state on the receiving end of EU pressure in the field of fundamental rights.

The unexpected politics of ILGA-Europe’s rainbow maps: (de)constructing queer utopias/dystopias

European Journal of Politics and Gender, 2024

Recently, we have seen a proliferation of maps visualising the global state of lesbian, gay, bise... more Recently, we have seen a proliferation of maps visualising the global state of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, plus (LGBTQI+) rights. While they represent a productive advocacy tool for activists, we critically examine the politics embedded and reinforced by the way maps and indices are constructed and represented. By exploring the discrepancies between ILGA-Europe’s rainbow maps and the lived experiences of LGBTQI+ people within Europe, we argue that these maps reproduce hierarchies often mediated by Eurocentric understandings of linear progress while discounting the importance that an interpenetration of legal and social aspects has in evaluating national contexts in which LGBTQI+ persons live. The emphasis on legislative frameworks, thus, in part displaces lived experiences of LGBTQI+ people in Europe, projecting both queer utopias and dystopias onto different geographical localities and feeding into existing homonationalist discourses. With such findings, we argue against the fetishisation of legislation within LGBTQI+ activism and academia.

The Dislocation of LGBT Politics: Pride, Globalization, and Geo-Temporality in Uganda and Serbia

by Koen Slootmaeckers and MJ Bosia (They/Them)

International Political Sociology, 2023

Scholars consider the translatability and efficacy of “western” LGBT politics as they diffuse, bu... more Scholars consider the translatability and efficacy of “western” LGBT politics as they diffuse, but pay little attention to the role of its histories and cultures as geo-temporal phenomena. Focusing on Pride events, this article demonstrates how such oversights inhibit a full account of the widely diverse impacts of similar actions in different places. We explore the ways in which Pride events, as a mode of activism, go global and integrate in vastly different contexts: Serbia and Uganda. Paying particular attention to acts of violence and the instrumentalization of Pride as geopolitical, we argue that divergent outcomes connect to the diffusion of Pride as creative of geo-temporal dislocations of politics and history. Incorporating the concept of extraversion, we demonstrate that the intertwining of the domestic and international facilitates the transformation of politics in terms of foreseen outcomes and unintended consequences. Overall, we propose a framework that advances an understanding of homophobic and homophilic politics as instrumentalizations of geo-temporal dislocations that underpin the global fight for LGBT rights. As a challenge to the progress narrative nearly intrinsic to western international relations, this approach is useful to explore processes that shape other types of transnational politics, such as democracy, climate change, and peace movements.

Unpacking Normative Resonance: The Attitudinal Panopticon and the Implementation Gap of LGBT Rights in Serbia

Social Politics, 2022

Although equality policies have been promoted by the European Union in its enlargement process, t... more Although equality policies have been promoted by the European Union in its enlargement process, their implementation often remains weak. While normative resonance is considered as a key factor for their proper implementation, why it matters remains theoretically underexplored. Addressing this gap, the article develops the notion of the attitudinal panopticon. Through the analysis of the implementation gap of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights in Serbia, I demonstrate how the lack of normative resonance and social change becomes a disciplining environment that prevents people from using equality measures out of fear of further and more severe violations of their rights.

Constructing European Union Identity through LGBT Equality Promotion: Crises and Shifting Othering Processes in the European Union Enlargement

The EU sees itself as a beacon of LGBT-friendliness and seeks to promote these norms in its exter... more The EU sees itself as a beacon of LGBT-friendliness and seeks to promote these norms in its external relations. However, such identity claims and norm promotion are inherently political and should be critically examined as such. Taking a relational approach, this article conceptualises and examines the Othering processes within the EU enlargement to highlight the political nature of what is often described as a technocratic. Through exploring the triangulation of the EU enlargement, Othering processes, and crises, it is argued that 1) the use of LGBT rights as a measure of Europeanness is based on a longer tradition of defining the EU’s symbolic boundaries, but that 2) it is in perceived moments of crisis that the EU redraws and strengthens the boundaries between the Self and the different type of Others through changing combinations of Othering mechanisms. Finally, the article also argues that LGBT rights promotion is not only a tool in constructing the EU’s identity but also a source of an identity crisis, as is shown by the rise of anti-gender politics.

Nationalism as competing masculinities: Homophobia as a technology of Othering for hetero- and homonationalism

How are masculinity and nationalism intertwined? This question has received scant theoretical att... more How are masculinity and nationalism intertwined? This question has received scant theoretical attention, and existing theories tent to focus on their shared ideals and are embedded in a heteronormative, homophobic and patriarchal framework. Such views imply a static relationship between both phenomena, and are incompatible with the recent phenomenon of homonationalism and the incorporation of some homosexual bodies within the nation. Addressing this theoretical gap, this article develops a more holistic framework of the relationship between nationalism and masculinity. Drawing on relational sociology, it conceptualises nationalism as competing masculinities. It argues that the link between masculinities and nationalism is not found in their overlapping substantive ideals, but rather that the two phenomena are co-constructed through their overlapping Othering processes. The proposed theoretical framework does not only provide a more dynamic understanding of the link between masculinity and nationalism, but it also helps to overcomes the apparent duality between homonationalism and heteronationalism. It is shown that both phenomena are in fact two sides of the same coin, with the main difference between them being the location of homophobia as a technology of Othering within different type of Self/Other relations. Overall, the article provides an analytical tool that allows for the contextualisation and understanding of seemingly contradicting features of nationalism and its relationship to masculinity.

Europeanization of Attitudes Towards Homosexuality: Exploring the Role of Education in the Transnational Diffusion of Values

How does exposure to EU integration affect social attitudes in third countries, and what is the r... more How does exposure to EU integration affect social attitudes in third countries, and what is the role of education in this process? These questions matter because the EU aspires to be not only a regulatory regime but also a community of values. Addressing both the common elision of attitudes and the underappreciation of education in Europeanization research, this article analyses the EU’s impact on attitudes towards homosexuality in third countries via national education systems. This article offers not only an exposition of how we can expand our theoretical framework to include the transmission of values; its empirical findings demonstrate the need for this exercise, as some of the literature’s underlying assumptions are shown to be unsupported.

The litmus test of pride: analysing the emergence of the Belgrade “Ghost” pride in the context of EU accession

East European Politics, 2017

The transformation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights into a “standard for ... more The transformation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights into a “standard for civilisation” has not been without consequences. With LGBT Pride parades becoming a symbol for Europeanness in the European Union (EU) accession process, this article asks how the litmus test character of Belgrade Pride has transformed LGBT politics in Serbia. Empirically, the analysis provides an in-depth analysis of how Serbia’s EU accession process has shaped the politics of Belgrade Pride between 2001 and 2015 and vice versa. It is argued that the international symbolic usage of Pride is no innocent practice as it has foreclosed its local politicality. Indeed, whilst Belgrade Pride became politicised as a litmus test in the EU accession process, domestically it developed into an apolitical ritualised event devoid of LGBT politics.

Gedifferentieerde dreiging en het ontstaan van vooroordelen: Anti-immigranten attitudes, islamofobie, antisemitisme en homonegativiteit vergeleken

Deze bijdrage stelt dat een te eenzijdige aandacht voor de veralgemeende component van vooroordel... more Deze bijdrage stelt dat een te eenzijdige aandacht voor de veralgemeende component van vooroordelen een obstakel vormt om de structuur en genese van vooroordelen tegenover speci eke groepen te begrijpen. We stellen een model van gedifferentieerde dreiging voor dat toelaat het particuliere karakter van speci- eke vooroordelen te conceptualiseren en te toetsen. Deze benadering postuleert dat verschillende uitgroepen diverse economische en culturele belangen uitdagen, en dat deze speci eke bedreigingen diverse socio-economische lagen en culturele segmenten van de bevolking in verschillende mate treffen. Vervolgens passen we het model van gedifferentieerde dreiging toe om de houdingen van autochtone Belgen tegenover immigranten, moslims, joden en homoseksuelen te analyseren. De resultaten tonen aan dat het inderdaad mogelijk is om een gemeenschappe- lijke component in de diverse vooroordelen te onderscheiden. Maar tegelijkertijd bevatten de onderscheiden vooroordelen elk een relevante, unieke component
die op verschillende wijze samenhangt met structurele kenmerken en attitudes. Traditionele genderopvattingen, bijvoorbeeld, hebben tegelijkertijd een ver- sterkend effect op homonegativiteit en een temperende invloed op islamofobie. Gevoelens van relatieve deprivatie zijn dan weer sterker gerelateerd met islamo- fobie dan met andere vormen van vooroordeel en hebben helemaal geen impact op homonegativiteit. Religiositeit speelt een meer beslissende rol in de formatie van antisemitisme en homonegativiteit dan het geval is bij andere vooroordelen. Anti-immigrantenattitudes, ten slotte, vertonen een klassegradiënt die afwezig is bij de overige vooroordelen. Deze resultaten tonen aan dat de vooroordelen te- genover speci eke uitgroepen niet begrepen kunnen worden zonder aandacht te besteden aan contextuele factoren, zoals sociale posities, de aard van intergroeps- relaties, machtsevenwichten en elitediscoursen.

Marrying European and Domestic Politics? The Marriage Referendum in Croatia and Value-Based Euroscepticism

Europe-Asia Studies, 2018

On 1 December 2013, Croatia voted in a referendum on the constitutional definition of marriage. W... more On 1 December 2013, Croatia voted in a referendum on the constitutional definition of marriage. Whilst recent scholarship highlighted the symbolism nature of the referendum in domestic politics, its European dimension has not been reflected on. Using Leconte's notion of value-based Euroscepticism this article explores the role of European politics in the marriage referendum, using electoral data at the municipal level. As the analysis demonstrates that the referendum, at least partly, was a proactive attempt to halt the Europeanisation of same-sex marriage, the article also sheds light on local resistance to EU's homonationalist politics.

Queer to be kind: Exploring Western media discourses about the “Eastern bloc” during the 2007 and 2014 Eurovision Song Contests

by Alexej Ulbricht, Indraneel Sircar, and Koen Slootmaeckers

This article examines the voting results and Western European media coverage of the 2007 and 2014... more This article examines the voting results and Western European media coverage of the 2007 and 2014 Eurovision Song Contests. The Austrian drag act Conchita Wurst (the alter ego of an openly gay man) won in 2014, whilst Serbian entrant Marija Šerifović, portrayed in Western European media as lesbian at the time, won in 2007. We first explore the extent to which there was an East-West voting divide in both contests. In 2014, while there was some elite hostility against Conchita in Eastern Europe, the popular support was on a similar level to that in Western Europe. In 2007, we find no significant geographic divide in support for Šerifović. However, when we examine mainstream UK and German media coverage during and after both contests, we find strong anti-Eastern European discourses that are at odds with the similarity in the public voting. We employ the concept of homonationalism to interrogate inconsistent Western media discourses: the East was depicted as a site of homophobia and the West as a site of tolerance in 2014, whilst the queer aesthetic / identity of Šerifović was largely overlooked in 2007.

Cultural Capital and Attitudes toward Homosexuals: Exploring the Relation between Lifestyles and Homonegativity

by Koen Slootmaeckers and John Lievens

This article explores the potential of cultural capital as explanatory factor in understanding ho... more This article explores the potential of cultural capital as explanatory factor in understanding homonegativity. Building on recent findings suggesting the need for a cultural component in understanding homonegativity, this article explores the relation between lifestyles (the measurable expression of cultural capital) and homonegativity. Using the “Social-Cultural changes in Flanders 2006” survey (a population-wide survey in Flanders, the northern part of Belgium), we observed that homonegativity is lowest in lifestyle clusters where cultural capital is higher. This effect, furthermore, is maintained even after controlling for other homonegativity correlates. These results suggest that cultural capital, expressed by lifestyles, is a valuable addition to the understanding of homonegativity.

Editors’ Introduction to the Thematic Issue: Mad about Methods? Teaching Research Methods in Political Science

by Johan Adriaensen, Bart. Kerremans, and Koen Slootmaeckers

Journal of Political Science Education, 2015

ABSTRACT In the introduction to this collection of articles on the teaching of research methods w... more ABSTRACT In the introduction to this collection of articles on the teaching of research methods we present a concise framework that helps to situate the many challenges encountered in the teaching practice along with their potential remedies. Through a focus on the professor, the student, and the context in which both interact, we situate the various innovations presented by our contributors in the wider literature. The introduction concludes with a summary of the studies included in this special issue.

Too Afraid to Learn: Attitudes towards Statistics as a Barrier to Learning Statistics and to Acquiring Quantitative Skills

by Koen Slootmaeckers, Bart. Kerremans, and Johan Adriaensen

Quantitative skills are important for studying and understanding social reality. Political scienc... more Quantitative skills are important for studying and understanding social reality. Political science students, however, experience difficulties in acquiring and retaining such skills. Fear of statistics has often been listed among the major causes for this problem. This study aims at understanding the underlying factors for this anxiety and proposes a potential remedy. More specifically, we advocate the integration of quantitative material into non-methodological courses. After assessing the influence of dispositional, course-related and person-related factors on the attitudes towards statistics among political science students, we provide insights into the relation between these attitudes on the one hand and the learning and retention of statistics skills on the other. Our results indicate that a curriculum-wide approach to normalise the use of quantitative methods can not only foster interest in statistics but also foster retention of the acquired skills.

Diabetic foot care and prevention in Senegal: adding an extra dimension to the Step-by-Step model

Every 30 seconds, a lower limb is amputated as a result of diabetes; of all the amputations in th... more Every 30 seconds, a lower limb is amputated as a result of diabetes; of all the amputations in the world, about 70% are suffered by people with diabetes -foot ulceration being a key factor in developing regions. Yet these amputations can be prevented. As well as medical factors, numerous social and socio-environmental issues affect the development of diabetic foot problems. This report focuses on Africa-specific factors. Although in Africa neuropathy is a major contributing factor, it is not the only one: even a simple injury that becomes infected can be a precursor to amputation. The authors reflect on some of the factors affecting diabetes care in Senegal, and make some suggestions for improvements in the prevention and management of the diabetic foot.

Diabetic foot care and prevention in senegal: adding an extra dimension to the step-by-step model

Every 30 seconds, a lower limb is amputated as a result of diabetes; of all the amputations in th... more Every 30 seconds, a lower limb is amputated as a result of diabetes; of all the amputations in the world, about 70% are suffered by people with diabetes – foot ulceration being a key factor in developing regions. Yet these amputations can be prevented. As well as medical factors, numerous social and socio-environmental issues affect the development of diabetic foot problems. This report focuses on Africa-specific factors. Although in Africa neuropathy is a major contributing factor, it is not the only one: even a simple injury that becomes infected can be a precursor to amputation. The authors reflect on some of the factors affecting diabetes care in Senegal, and make some suggestions for improvements in the prevention and management of the diabetic foot.

The Europeanization and Politicization of LGBT Rights in Serbia

The Routledge International Handbook to Gender in Central-Eastern Europe and Eurasia, 2021

The co-evolution of EU’s Eastern Enlargement and LGBT politics: An ever gayer Union?

This chapter studies the place of LGBT rights within the Enlargement process from the 1990s onwar... more This chapter studies the place of LGBT rights within the Enlargement process from the 1990s onwards. In the first part of this chapter we trace how fundamental rights and LGBT rights in particular became an important element of the EU enlargement process in the last decades. Focusing on the EU institutions, especially the European Commission and the Council of the European Union, we highlight how EU policies and strategies have changed over the different iterations of the EU Eastern Enlargement. The second part of the chapter focuses on what we identify as two turning points in this process: the fifth and sixth Enlargements. We ask the question of what has been the impact of the accession to the EU on LGBT rights Central and Eastern European and Croatia. In conclusion, we evaluate the prospects for LGBT rights in the Western Balkans countries still in the accession process.

Introduction: EU Enlargement and LGBT Rights: Beyond Symbolism?

by Koen Slootmaeckers and Peter Vermeersch

This chapter provides an insight into the aims, background, concepts and structure of the book. T... more This chapter provides an insight into the aims, background, concepts and structure of the book. The aim of this book is to explore the impact of the EU enlargement on the experiences of Central European and Balkan LGBT populations, and by extension on the political and legal contexts in which these populations live and claim rights. A little over a decade since the first Eastern EU enlargement, we believe it is high time to analyze the impact of this process in the recent member states in Central Europe as well as to take stock of the lessons learned for the Western Balkans. The chapter places the EU enlargement politics around LGBT issues in the broader context of LGBT rights in the larger world.

Religion, Homosexuality and Nationalism in the Western Balkans: The Role of Religious Institutions in Defining the Nation

by Koen Slootmaeckers and Tamara Pavasović Trošt

The Sound of Silence: EDI in the European Studies Canon

Serbia's New Lesbian Prime Minister: A Symbolic Step Forward?

Tactical Europeanisation: Why Serbia’s decision to appoint an openly gay PM is no great leap forward for LGBT rights

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has nominated Ana Brnabić as the country’s next Prime Minister... more Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has nominated Ana Brnabić as the country’s next Prime Minister. Brnabić, whose appointment is now largely a formality, will be Serbia’s first female and openly gay Prime Minister. Koen Slootmaeckers argues that while many observers outside the country have portrayed the appointment as a step forward for LGBT rights in Serbia, the decision says far more about Vučić’s attempts to advance the country’s EU accession process.

Beyond Symbolism? The EU enlargement and Gay Politics

On the occasion of the book launch of The EU Enlargement and Gay Politics: The Impact of Eastern ... more On the occasion of the book launch of The EU Enlargement and Gay Politics: The Impact of Eastern Enlargement on Rights, Activism and Prejudice (edited by Koen Slootmaeckers, Heleen Touquet and Peter Vermeersch), Koen Slootmaeckers reflect on the contributions the book made to the growing literature on the Europeanisation of LGBT rights, and raises critical questions for future scholarship. Over the last decade, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their rights have become an ever more salient and controversial topic in international politics. In recent years, LGBT rights have become an important part of the EU enlargement process. In the context of the EU's new fundamental first approach to accession process, LGBT rights have been declared in the 2013 Enlargement strategy. Moreover, the protection of LGBT rights and pride, in particular, have been used by EU actors to gauge the 'Europeanness' of candidate countries. For example, when the Belgrade Pride returned in 2014, Member of European Parliament Tanja Fajon said: 'After three last-minute bans over the last three years, this year, the Serbian government will have the opportunity to right these wrongs. The values of tolerance and diversity that will be highlighted this Sunday are European, and Serbia fully belongs in Europe.' A little over a decade since the first Eastern EU enlargement, we believe it is high time to analyse the impact of this process in the recent member states in Central Europe as well as to take stock of the lessons learned for the Western Balkans. In our recent edited volume, The EU Enlargement and Gay Politics: The Impact of Eastern Enlargement on Right, Activism and Prejudice, we and our contributors aimed to disentangle the symbolism from the actual advances on the ground and to determine more exactly the influence of the EU on LGBT rights in former or current 'enlargement countries.' In particular, we asked the following question: What is the impact of the EU enlargement on the political and legal contexts in which LGBT people live and claim rights?

Belgrade Pride 2014: Where There Is a Need, There Is Tolerance?

Belgrade 2014: Pride, prejudice and European politics

Belgrade Pride 2014: Another blow to the head or will it go ahead?

A recent attack has shaken Serbia’s LGBT community. Will the 2014 Belgrade Pride go ahead? Two sc... more A recent attack has shaken Serbia’s LGBT community. Will the 2014 Belgrade Pride go ahead? Two scenarios are possible, largely depending on the pressure the EU will decide to exert. “Over the last three years, the EU seem to have turned a blind eye to the bans of the Pride Parade, as long as Serbia made progress in other, more important, matters, like the normalisation of relations with Kosovo”, writes Koen Slootmaeckers.

From EU-induced Institutional Change to Normative Change: When Organizations Matter

Reviews and Critical Commentary

From 'Strategic Accession' to 'Tactical Europeanisation'? The Promotion of and Resistance to LGBT Equality in Serbia's European Integration Process

In recent years, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans* (LGBT) rights have become increasingly salien... more In recent years, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans* (LGBT) rights have become increasingly salient within the EU enlargement process as a so-called litmus test for Europeanness, yet the promotion of such norms has provided a fulcrum for political contestation. Based on this observation, this thesis asks how do the EU and a candidate country negotiate LGBT-related normative tensions which have been created as part of the overarching political integration process? By taking into account the international symbolism of LGBT norms, it is suggested to move away from a classical approach to Europeanisation in which the impact of the EU on a third country is examined, towards a more dynamic conceptualisation of the EU enlargement process in which norms are inherently contested, and a resolution to normative struggles are required to advance political integration. Drawing on the critical scholarship on normative power Europe, this thesis rejects a uni-directional (top-down) understanding of EU enlargement in which the EU transplants its rules and norms to candidate countries, while proposing a complex multi-dimensional conceptualising in which different hegemonic struggles and normative tensions come together in a multi-layered normative struggle with its own tensions.
How these tensions are negotiated is empirically studied in the context of the European integration process of Serbia (2001– 2015). Using process tracing, which draws on 89 semi-structured interviews, document analysis and participant observation, this thesis analyses the promotion of and resistance to LGBT-inclusive anti-discrimination legislation and the organisation of LGBT Pride Parades in Belgrade. Overall, the thesis introduces the concept of ‘Tactical Europeanisation’ to highlight that the EU accession process is better thought of as a process of negotiated transformation in which EU policies and norms are (re)defined, negotiated and transformed with both sides making compromised to further the political integration. It calls for a more critical analysis of the civilizational politics embedded in the EU enlargement process that goes beyond institutional changes to include an analysis of transnational configurations of politics and the complex (negotiated) outcomes they produce.

Marek Mikuš. Frontiers of Civil Society: Government and Hegemony in Serbia (New York, USA: Berghahn, 2018) ISBN 9781785338908.

Southeastern Europe, 2019