Ana is here: Abjection, class privilege, and the prime minister Ana Brnabic

Abstract

This paper employs the notion of abjection to explore how debates surrounding Ana Brnabic, the first openly lesbian prime minister in Serbia and Eastern Europe, stir affectively lined layers of prejudice across the political spectrum. Drawing upon a range of empirical sources, I argue that the actors engaging in debates about Brnabic?s both private and public life are entangled in a loop of abjection which, while comprising gender, sexuality, ?race?, and the body, reflects strong patriarchal undercurrents as structural features of Serbian politics.