Identity without Limits: Queer Debates and Representation in Contemporary Spain

Abstract

This article is a study of current queer discourses and representation in Spain. The first section explores the historical links of the Spanish Gay movement with autochthonous (nationalist) and foreign (gay/lesbian) struggles and also the pros and cons of recent advancements, such as new laws, the expansion of ‘gay villages’ and the increased presence of lesbians and gay men in mainstream media. The focus then turns to the debates that dominate recent gay literature written in Spain, namely the appropriateness of ‘queer’ to the Spanish context and its possible alternatives and national articulations. Finally, drawing on previous studies on the representation of gay men in Spanish cinema, the article briefly analyzes the films The City of No Limits (La ciudad sin límites, Hernández, 2002) and Stones (Piedras, Salazar, 2002), examples of a new subtle but effective queer subversiveness.