Orange Hands and Green Kerchiefs: Affect and Democratic Politics in Two Transnational Symbols for Abortion Rights

Abstract

This chapter examines the linkages between affect and democracy in the visual strategies of the abortion rights movement in Latin America’s Southern Cone. Specifically, it focuses on two transnational symbols of abortion rights in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay: the orange “voting” hand and the triangular green kerchief. This study is primarily based on documentary research in personal and institutional archives, supplemented with information obtained through conversations with activists. The transnational circulation of both symbols allows for a reflection about the spread of activist energy and shared political meanings at the regional level. Further, the symbols, upon being adopted in the context of each country, acquire specific meanings that interact with local histories and politics. Both the orange “voting” hand and the green kerchief have a strong relationship with the history of post-dictatorial democratic struggles in these three countries and reveal a powerful range of affects associated with hope and determination.