How do LGBTQI+ NGOs Interact With Key Audiences in an Authoritarian Context: A case of Feminita in Kazakhstan

Abstract

This thesis investigates how LGBTQI+ non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Kazakhstan interact with government stakeholders and navigate survival under authoritarian constraint. Focusing on the case study of Feminita, a queer-feminist initiative in Kazakhstan, the study examines how such organizations manage visibility, legitimacy, and engagement strategies in a politically repressive environment marked by legal restrictions and widespread societal homophobia. Through a qualitative methodology combining participant observation and document analysis, the research traces how Feminita tactically modulates its discourse, tone, and public presence depending on the audience, ranging from domestic state actors to international human rights bodies, the local queer community, and the general public. Drawing on theoretical frameworks including Edenborg’s concept of strategic visibility, Stroup and Wong’s authority trap, and literature on queer resistance in authoritarian contexts, the thesis identifies four key strategies: adaptive visibility, legal illegitimacy as autonomy, reframing national values, and affective resistance. Findings reveal that Feminita does not seek recognition through state approval but instead constructs legitimacy through legal language, emotional solidarity, cultural satire, and symbolic performance. These strategies challenge assumptions about depoliticization and NGO co-optation in authoritarian settings and demonstrate how queer civil society actors continue to reshape the boundaries of political participation from the margins. The study contributes to broader discussions on civil society resilience, queer activism, and state-NGO relations in repressive political environments.

Keywords: LGBTQI+ NGOs, authoritarianism, Feminita, queer resistance, strategic visibility, Kazakhstan, civil society