Weaponizing rights: Political Uses of LGBTQ+ Rhetoric in Media Outlets

Our study examines political parties’ rhetorical expressions of selective liberalism in the media, where political parties adopt progressive rhetoric on LGBTQ+ rights while advancing exclusionary stances on immigrants and ethnic minorities. Analyzing 25 years of The Guardian coverage, we explore how LGBTQ+ rights are strategically used to signal inclusivity while reinforcing nativist agendas. The methodological innovation employs generative AI to analyze political rhetoric at scale. Using generative AI, we identified and annotated 1,127 paragraphs referencing LGBTQ+ issues and political parties from 36,000+ articles. Sentiment analysis classified statements as positive, neutral, or negative toward LGBTQ+ rights. Selective liberalism was operationalized as positive framing of LGBTQ+ issues co-occurring with negative framing of immigrants or ethnic minorities. Classifications were validated through qualitative checks to ensure consistency with theoretical expectations. Findings show selective liberalism is widespread, with conservative parties employing it most often, while center-left parties occasionally engage in similar patterns. Temporal analysis reveals a rise in selective liberalism as LGBTQ+ issues gained media prominence, particularly during moments of political polarization. Our research contributes to understanding homonationalism and the instrumentalization of liberal values. Methodologically, it demonstrates the potential of generative AI for large-scale analysis of political rhetoric, combining precision with theoretical insight. By uncovering subtle rhetorical strategies, this study advances computational text analysis and highlights the intersection of progressive advocacy and exclusionary politics.