Lesson 5.1: Grassroots resistance
This topic introduces the wide range of grassroots strategies that queer, trans, and feminist activists use to counter anti-gender narratives and policies. Resistance can be overt – visible protests, legal advocacy, and public campaigns – or quieter, grounded in everyday practices of care, digital security, and safe-space creation. What unites these approaches is a commitment to collective survival, even in contexts where civic space is shrinking.
3. Everyday and digital resistance
When public protest becomes too risky, resistance shifts to less visible forms.
SPAIN
The case study on Spain describes these as ‘everyday micro-strategies’ – the small acts that sustain activists under pressure. These include:
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blocking or muting online attackers
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using encrypted messaging apps
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establishing panic buttons or alarm systems
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sharing legal advice and mental-health resources
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maintaining small, trusted friendship networks
BELARUS & TURKIYE
In Belarus and Turkey, encrypted channels keep exiled and local activists connected, despite surveillance risks. These networks provide emotional support and political continuity even when physical organising is impossible.
Such strategies reveal that resistance does not only happen in streets or parliaments. It also happens in the quiet maintenance of safety, connection, and care – practices often overlooked but essential for long-term survival.