LGBT the final frontier of human rights: A case study of same-sex marriage in Spain
Format
Oral Presentation
Faculty Mentor Name
Analiese Richard
Faculty Mentor Department
International Relations
Abstract/Artist Statement
In the short time period between 1975 and 2005, radical changes took place in Spanish society. In just 30 years, Spanish culture underwent a fundamental transformation from the Franco tolerant Spain: a state that has legalized same-sex marriage and embraced the LGBT movement to an extent paralleled by few. The case of LGBT rights in Spain is particularly interesting because of this historical context. Based on archival research and interviews with LGBT activists in Madrid, Spain, I argue that there are 5 primary conditions of possibility that set the historical stage for the legal and cultural acceptance of marriage equality. They are: the emergence of the LGBT community as a visible sector of society, the concerted struggle of certain LGBT activist groups (namely FELGTB), the presence of a multi-party system, the nature of the Spanish “Catholic culture” after Franco, and the way in which normative Spanish values and shared beliefs were transformed as a reaction to the dictatorship and its long-awaited end in 1975. The LGBT community is currently one of the most marginalized communities in the world. Yet, a huge step has been taken to acknowledge this marginalized sector of society, in Spain. Presenting my research is important, firstly because it will make known the intricate factors that made Spain’s success possible. Secondly, because it has the potential to aid LGBT communities in the United States and worldwide in their fight for equality both in legal and cultural contexts.
Location
DeRosa University Center, Room 211
Start Date
26-4-2014 1:00 PM
End Date
26-4-2014 4:40 PM
LGBT the final frontier of human rights: A case study of same-sex marriage in Spain
DeRosa University Center, Room 211
In the short time period between 1975 and 2005, radical changes took place in Spanish society. In just 30 years, Spanish culture underwent a fundamental transformation from the Franco tolerant Spain: a state that has legalized same-sex marriage and embraced the LGBT movement to an extent paralleled by few. The case of LGBT rights in Spain is particularly interesting because of this historical context. Based on archival research and interviews with LGBT activists in Madrid, Spain, I argue that there are 5 primary conditions of possibility that set the historical stage for the legal and cultural acceptance of marriage equality. They are: the emergence of the LGBT community as a visible sector of society, the concerted struggle of certain LGBT activist groups (namely FELGTB), the presence of a multi-party system, the nature of the Spanish “Catholic culture” after Franco, and the way in which normative Spanish values and shared beliefs were transformed as a reaction to the dictatorship and its long-awaited end in 1975. The LGBT community is currently one of the most marginalized communities in the world. Yet, a huge step has been taken to acknowledge this marginalized sector of society, in Spain. Presenting my research is important, firstly because it will make known the intricate factors that made Spain’s success possible. Secondly, because it has the potential to aid LGBT communities in the United States and worldwide in their fight for equality both in legal and cultural contexts.