The West Is Divided
Al-Ahram, Egypt, April 25
A deep divide, not merely a disagreement, is now widening across the West. It is no longer just a clash between the Trump administration and most Western governments over matters of security, trade, and the economy, but rather an ideological rift between two fundamentally opposing sets of values.
At the heart of this divide lies the contentious issue of social diversity, with homosexuality and transgender rights standing as its most sensitive and visible symbols. The US president’s decision to roll back recognition of gender diversity and assert that there are only males and females has only served to deepen this division, both within the United States and between his administration and the governments of most European nations.
In the US, nearly half the population supports the inclusion of homosexuality and transgenderism as integral aspects of social diversity. Among the most liberal segments of society, support for LGBTQ+ rights is particularly strong. A Gallup poll revealed that 7.6% of Americans now identify as LGBTQ+, a figure that has doubled since Gallup first began tracking this data in 2012, and the trend suggests it could surpass 10% in the near future as younger generations continue to express higher levels of identification.
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This is merely the most visible expression of the broader ideological divide fracturing the West, though it is by no means the only one, and arguably not even the most significant.
It is important to recognize that the divide is complex and nuanced; not all members of the far right oppose gay and transgender rights, and not all those on the left or center embrace them. Indeed, even on the far left, there are those who resist full acknowledgment of gender and sexual diversity.
A telling example of these divergent approaches can be seen in the stances adopted by far-right leaders. In contrast to Trump’s hard-line position, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is far right both intellectually and politically, has shown a measure of pragmatism on the issue. Since taking office in 2022, Meloni has refrained from repealing legislation that grants equal rights to gay and transgender individuals, including marriage rights, though she does oppose the registration of children adopted by same-sex couples.
From this, it is possible to sketch a broad dividing line that now bisects the West: on one side stands a growing far right, and on the other, a coalition comprising the traditional right, centrists, and the left.
Wahid Abdel-Meguid (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)
