Defensive Feminisms in Argentina

Abstract

When we hear accusations that key feminist demands such as sex education encourage abortion, promote homosexuality, and sexualize children, it seems that our societies have succumbed to organized lies. In this context, which not only concerns feminism and activism for sexual dissidence but also the sustainability of democratic rule itself, much activism focuses on fact-checking and gender training. Drawing inspiration from the emblematic case of Argentina, this article addresses this overwhelming scenario of the polarized conflict among the newly radicalized right, feminism, and activism for sexual dissidence. It examines the political assumptions and effects of these claims of truthfulness and cognition as dominant feminist defensive practices in the public sphere. Indebted to Hannah Arendt’s work, the article aims to present an approach that challenges the dominant feminist public interventions and political strategies that are based on fact-checking and imparting knowledge. The first section considers these practices in the context of three paradigmatic scenes of the enlightened feminist tradition. Building on Arendt’s thinking, the subsequent section highlights the overlooked implications of education becoming a political instrument or political activity being considered a form of education. The final section reveals some of the unexpected consequences of the post-critical scene in contemporary theoretical debates. These consequences provide valuable insights into the political limitations of the aforementioned academic feminist practices and the broader conditions that impact our ability to think and act in the current post-truth era.