’Real Bulgarian men’ under threat: hegemonic masculinity and misogyny in online discussions on gender antagonism in Bulgaria

This article explores the discursive construction of social identities in online discussions on gender antagonism in Bulgaria through a critical discourse analysis of posts on the anonymous Q&A platform Spodeli. Drawing on social identity theory and Connell’s concept of hegemonic masculinity, the study examines how forum users construct an in-group identity of ‘the Bulgarian man’ by Othering women, gender-nonconforming individuals, Roma, and Western men as threats to national and masculine identity. The analysis highlights how platform affordances such as anonymity, lack of moderation, accessibility, and visibility facilitate the proliferation of misogynistic discourse. The findings show that despite sharing similarities with Western misogynist/anti-feminist discourses, discussions on the forum are largely shaped by post-communist anxieties around economy and national sovereignty. This study advances scholarship on networked misogyny by offering a situated analysis from an Eastern European perspective, revealing how gender antagonism is deeply intertwined with nationalist and anti-democratic currents in Bulgaria.