Local government policies on sexual and gender diversity in Spain. Experiences from Alt Empordà

Abstract

In recent years, local government administrations in Spain have strengthened their commitment to putting into effect policies that favour the well-being of LGBTQ+ people. This has happened not only in large cities, but in small rural municipalities as well. Based on the discourses, representations and practices of professionals in health and social services, this article is organized around two interrelated axes of analysis.First, we assess the extent of knowledge regarding public policies among professionals and LGBTQ+ people. And second, we examine the rural area as a specific setting for the application of LGBTQ+ policies. This leads us to the conclusion that such legal changes are important but not sufficient in themselves to ensure the well-being of LGBTQ+ people. Moreover, LGBTQ+ policies need to consider local contexts and avoid transferring the rationale of the big city into rural environments.

‘He is the customer, I will say yes’: Notions of power, precarity and consent to sexual harassment by customers in the gay tourism industry

“…Specifically, it considered the sexualized nature of the gay tourism industry, exploring two popular gay tourism destinations in Spain, revealing how organizations would tacitly and, often, explicitly encourage and tolerate incidences of sexual harassment from customers. Spain has been listed as one of the most LGBTQ + ‐friendly’ destinations in Europe (ILGA EU, 2020), whilst recently local governments have strengthened their commitment to putting into effect policies that favor the well‐being of LGBTQ + people (Langarita et al., 2021). Nevertheless, LGBTQ + individuals still experience discrimination, gender‐based violence, and harassment (Devís‐Devís et al., 2017; Fernández‐Rouco et al., 2020; ILGA EU, 2020).…”