Spain Trying to Remove Q from LGBTQ+

Spain Trying to Remove Q from LGBTQ+

Last weekend, at the behest of Spain's Prime Minister, the Socialist Workers Party made some pretty drastic announcements regarding its intentions for the queer community, including removing the Q+ from LGBQ+ and banning trans women from sports.

While this seems very anti-LGBTQ, Spain has been very progressive in leading Europe's fight for equality for the queer community. Even where the trans community is concerned, the nation has provided protection measures for trans citizens who legally can self-identify on their IDs without the need for a medical or psychological evaluation. We know how hard it is for trans people to get their ID changed here in the States! Spain's trans identification laws are even applied to birth certificates. So, what gives?

 

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The ban on trans women in sports is being supported by feminists and anti-trans groups say the new restrictions help against the erasure of women and will protect the integrity of women's sports. Trans advocacy groups say that this is not a political or feminist issue, it is just blatant transphobia.

This all just seems out of nowhere as over the past few decades, Spain has been at the forefront for queer rights. If you want to go way back, Ancient Romans in Spain often engaged in homosexual acts and it was considered a normal part of life. When the Christians came to power around the 4th century, anti-homosexual laws started to spring up. Sodomy laws were repealed in the Spanish Code in 1822 but resurfaced during the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s. It wasn't until 1979 that homosexual sex acts were legalized. Same-sex marriage and adoption rights were instituted by Spain in 2005. This made Spain the third country in the world to legalize such marriages. That same year, the queer community was able to serve in the military and donate blood. Homosexual anti-discrimination laws regarding employment have been in effect since 1995.

 

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In 2013, a poll showed that 88% of Spain's citizens approved of a homosexual lifestyle, making it one of the top LGBTQ-friendly nations of the 39 polled. Madrid has hosted EuroPride and World Pride. Madrid and Barcelona rank among the top queer-friendly cities in the world.

Hate speech and hate crimes have included protections for the queer community since 1995. Even so, there have been reported increases in anti-LGBTQ violence since 2019. That year, there was a reported 30% increase by the Observatory Against Homophobia of Catalonia.

 

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Why do you think the queer community is receiving so much opposition from governments over the past few years?