Spain: a land of extremes

Since the end of suppressive regime of Franco, Spain has found itself at the very forefront of gay equality laws.

Barcelona-raised Alfredo (name substituted), 31, believes Spain owes its same-sex marriage legislation to the Spanish people supporting polar opposing views: either extreme liberalism or fundamental conservatism.

The whole history of Spain has been like that, full of extremes, Alfredo said.

After eight years in office, the conservative People’s Party lost the 2004 general election to Jose Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s centre left party, after the incumbent government falsely accused ETA of perpetrating the Madrid bombings.

In gaining office, Zapatero was determined to pass legislation in reaction against the previous conservative government. Zapatero’s over-arching mandate was based upon the concept that everyone is equal and therefore should be treated in the same way. These reforms included the highly controversial same-sex marriage and adoption bills.

When marriage was passed in 2005, Zapatero said the new law increased the chance of happiness for our neighbours, our work colleagues, our friends, our relatives.

Spain became the first country in the world to recognise same-sex marriage on completely equal terms.

Alfredo’s own family demonstrates the extremes of thought.

I was very happy with the bill. I was living with my parents at the time. They were against it. I remember my father saying, -˜I cannot imagine how we can let poofters get married.’ This was very hurtful for me to hear, he said.

It is very easy to be gay in Barcelona. But it’s difficult to be gay to society.

As Spain is a Catholic country, the Vatican called upon civil disobedience against same-sex marriage. However, Spain’s sense of independence defied the Pope.

Spain is a democratic country. Our parliament said that this law is good and that is that. The Pope cannot say anything about it, Alfredo said.

I don’t care about the Pope. He can get fucked.

Does Alfredo contemplate using the law?

I previously thought I’d be by myself but I now have this possibility in my country. It would be nice to marry, to have a son, he said.

Spain’s most famous film director, Pedro Almodóvar, has done a great deal for his country’s gay community.

Almodóvar is an icon for everyone, especially gay people. Everyone loves Almodóvar because his movies are fantastic. He’s one of the world’s foremost directors, and he puts gay themes into his films, Alfredo said.

When the same-sex marriage bill was passed, Almodóvar said, It is important for this to be called marriage so people know that it is the same thing for everyone.

Alfredo recalls the beginning of the gay revolution in Spain. Entitled the Movida cultural movement, the group rebelled against General Franco’s repressive regime. There was a movement that began in the late 1970s led by punk singer, Alaska. She was the first one to show that to be gay was possible, Alfredo said.

Alfredo, who has been working as an engineer in Sydney since March 2007, is disappointed with Sydney.

If Sydney wants to keep up, the city has to be more open. Otherwise people will leave. People say 10 years ago the city was gayer than now. Spain has opened its doors, and now people prefer Barcelona
to Sydney.