The Egyptian LGBT’s transnational cyber-advocacy in a restrictive context

How does the Egyptian LGBT advocacy operate in an authoritarian context? This study argues that the rights frame enabled the LGBT activists to overcome social and political restrictions and sustain their advocacy in an authoritarian context. Unlike the literature underlining the structuralist nature of social movements’ mobilization techniques in a democratic context, this study introduces cause framing and its interactionist approach, cultural opportunity structure, as a means of adaptation to state repression. By capitalizing on cultural resources, the LGBT movement formulated its cause into a rights frame based on feelings of common injustice inflicted on the community because of its sexual identity. They enabled the development of a flexible transnational cyber-activism in order to increase public awareness about the community sufferings and end the state’s violation of individual rights.