Lesson 5.1: Grassroots resistance

1. Visibility and protest: Collective visibility across contexts

Resistance to ‘anti-gender’ politics takes many forms.

Across Europe, queer, trans, and feminist grassroots movements respond to attacks, repression, and backlash not only with visible acts of protest but also through quieter, everyday practices of care, creativity, and solidarity. Sometimes resistance fills city squares; other times it unfolds in small safe spaces, encrypted chats, or friendship networks that keep communities alive when public visibility becomes too dangerous. Both are equally political.

Ireland

Activists emphasised the importance of ‘being present, not going away,’ and the power of public protest to reclaim belonging. Protesters joined counter-demonstrations outside libraries and anti-trans events, organised Pride and Alternative Pride marches, and boycotted hostile media. Being visible was emotionally sustaining: protest marches helped participants

‘feel part of something … to feel safe, and to have a shared sense of purpose’ (IRLINT03 - RESIST Report on Ireland, p 16).

Spain

In Spain, activism has combined institutional engagement with grassroots action. Here feminist and queer movements have also succeeded in translating long-term organising into institutional power — entering governments, municipalities, ministries, and public administrations to advance protective policies and counter ‘anti-gender’ agendas from within.

These institutional gains did not emerge in isolation. They were made possible by sustained feminist mobilisation, coalition-building, and collective pressure over time. Resistance, therefore, operates across multiple sites: in streets and communities but also within state institutions themselves. Campaigns successfully challenged the transphobic ‘HazteOír’ bus, eventually leading to its ban in Catalonia, while educational initiatives equipped schools and emergency responders to respond to misinformation. As one participant noted, such work involves learning ‘how to interpellate men without attacking them directly’ – showing that dialogue itself can be a form of resistance.

Poland

In Poland, the Women’s Strike (Strajk Kobiet) and related feminist coalitions linked struggles for gender justice to broader democratic rights, demonstrating how alliances can amplify power.

Switzerland

And in Switzerland, where civic space is comparatively open, activists continue to influence public debate through policy advocacy and engagement with sympathetic politicians. This shows that institutional routes remain important in some contexts and can coexist with grassroots strategies.