The European Union as a child molester: sex education on pro-Russian websites

摘要

As a part of education fostering diversity, human rights and gender equality, sex education has proved an ideal target for disinformation. This article offers an analysis of articles on sex education published between 2007 and 2016 on pro-Russian websites in Czech and Slovak. The extreme and manipulated representations of sex education on these websites are part of a Russian disinformation campaign that activates social anxiety by triggering emotions and utilising regionally sensitive issues to foment feelings of inferiority in post-socialist countries. The Russian Federation strives to be perceived as a saviour of traditional values, actively feeding a conservative backlash and anti-gender and anti-LGBT movements. It therefore recruits conservative allies across Europe to expand its sphere of influence.