Isidro García Nieto
Social worker and sexologist.
CCOO Spain
SPANISH BACKGROUND
 Spain is known all over
the world as a strongly
catholic, traditional and
conservative country.
 But, is this true?
 Are the Spanish people
so catholic and
conservative as people
think rigth now?
SPANISH BACKGROUND
 We are one of the most
influenced countries by
catholicism.
 For example, this
summer we had the
international catholic
young meeting…
SPANISH BACKGROUND
 As a lot of other
mediterranian countries,
our society is strongly
pathriarcal and male
chauvinist…*
 Sexist society.
RECENT SPANISH HISTORY
 We can not forget that
from 1936 until 1975 we
were under a reactionary
militar dictatorship.
 Spain was internationally




isolated.
Strong ideological control
and censorship.
State and church was
intimately togheter.
Women rights were dennied.
Homosexuality was a crime.
HOW WAS THE TRANSITION?
Treatment of LGBT people
1975
2005
CRIMINAL CODE
CIVIL CODE*
The strength of being in
the end of the line
 Spain was in the back of
Europe for years about:
 Freedom.
 Equality.
 Rigths.
 Culture.
 The spanish people used
this strength to improve
their social
environement.
ACTORS
 LGTB groups and
NGO´s
 The main task was for
those group to make
visible the invisible.
 Give a positive model
and general info about
LGTB reality.
 Make sure that the
LGTB issue is on the
political agenda.
 Help politicians to
develop laws to reach
equality.
ACTORS
 Left wing political parties.
 The left wing party was the
historical petitioner of the
LGTB people in the political
area. With the years and the
hard work of the LGTB
groups and NGO´s they get
concerned.
 In 2004 the socialist party
wins the general elections
with Zapatero as president.
This victory ends with 8 years
of conservative and
homophobic goverment from
the rigth wing. In 2005 the
marriage and adoption was
approved.
LAW EVOLUTION CONCERN TO LGTB IN
SPAIN
1933
1970
1978
• Law against lazy and criminals
• Homosexuals as a danger for the society.
• Law against social danger.
• Control and watchfulness of those who
commit homosexual acts.
• Spanish Constitution
• Non discrimination on the ground of age, sex or religion.
LAW EVOLUTION CONCERN TO LGTB IN
SPAIN
1988
1994
1995
• Public Scandal abolition in the Criminal Code.
• It was the continue of the 1934 law. Sexual provocation
• First register of civil union (Vitoria)
• Criminal Code reformation.
• Abolition of homophobic sections in the law.
• Recognition of homophobia as a crime.
LAW EVOLUTION CONCERN TO LGTB IN
SPAIN
2003
2005
2007
• 63/2003 Law
• Equal treatment.
• Application of the EU equality directives.
• Civil code reformation in the field of marriage.
• Not a specific law for LGTB. Same rigths for all.
• Identity Gender law.
• Modification of gender and name in the ID without
genital surgery.
ACTORS
 Trade unions.
 Tade unions have played an




important role over history
supporting the social
evolution.
They can reach a lot of
different groups and spread
the equality messages in some
of them that hardly can be
reached any other way.
They make an important role
in the education of the
workers, trade unionist, and
the rest of society.
They have a strong influence
in social oppinion and in the
develop of new laws.
Trade unions can help us to
make visible the LTGB issue.
ACTORS
 Social research specialist
and surveys.
 Many people thinks that
marriage or adoption can
be harmful for the society
and specially for the
children. This can be a
strong obstacle.
 In Spain the survey about
the families of lesbian, gay
and bisexual with kids ,
and their possitive results
were essential in the
approval of marriage and
adoption.
Warning!!
 In the years after the approval of the lgtb marriage,
the homophobic reactions increased and were
more visible. But in a few months they decreased.
(foto manifestación foro de las familias)
 We still figth against the declarations of the
catholic church.
 The rigth wing parties still want to change the law,
and make a special marriage for LGTB.
 Marriage law is rigth now appealled in the
constitutional court.
The chance
 All the efforts get together, and the 3th of July of 2005
the civil code was rewritten…
 From this moment thousand of LGTB get married, and
have decided to have children.
 The best weapong against homophobia in the
visibilization and normalization.
 Now Spain is one of the countries in the head of
Europe about LGTB rigths…
Thanks