Although a culturally-Catholic country (of mostly non-practicing Catholics), Spain legalized both same-sex marriage and adoption rights for same-sex couples in 2005 and has been recognized for providing one of the highest degrees of liberty in the world to its LGBTQ+ citizens. Spain is home to powerful LGBTQ+ associations and lobbies, and  is ranked as one of the most queer-friendly countries in the world. Students should be aware, however, that the political far right party, VOX, has a blatantly homoantagonistic, anti-Trans platform that seeks to rescind the human rights gained by queer collectives over the last 20 years. Hate crimes and microaggressions against queer people occur in Madrid and in Spain, and have at times impacted our students negatively. At the same time, some LGBTQ+ students have reported that they feel safer and more accepted here than in their hometowns. 

LGBTQ+ people are highly visible and vocal in Spain, and it’s common to see a queer couple walking down the street holding hands, kissing or otherwise displaying public affection. Yet, given the lack of political correctness in Spain, it is not uncommon to hear the Spanish word for “fag” (maricón) used freely when talking about or to queer people, or in other contexts, and Spaniards may become startled if you tell them that you find it offensive. Even Spanish LGBTQ+ people may not understand American sensitivity to the use of this pejorative word. The lack of awareness around discriminatory speech may cause suffering to queer students and their allies.

While Trans people in Spain are increasing in visibility, and a pro-Trans movement is gathering momentum and winning legal battles, Trans people continue to face discrimination at the legal and social level in Spain, even within queer communities, “traditional” feminist collectives, and various political forums. In spite of ongoing vigorous attempts by Trans collectives to change the process for changing names and gender assignments, it remains highly bureaucratic and discriminatory. There is still a long way to go to achieve broad Trans rights in Spain.

During Orientation we offer a lecture that includes analysis and information about resources for all queer people with an inclusive focus on Trans identity and justice in Spain. Our courses on Identities and Black Lives Matter in Spain, along with our Laboratorio de Pedagogías Antirracistas Interseccionales (LPAI) examine and visibilize the intersections of race and diverse sexual dissidence in Spain.