Was anarchist spain homophobic?

[EvilRedGuy]

Was there still homophobia there like there were everywhere else?

[syndicat]

Do you mean, was homophobia common in Spain at that time? Answer, probably yes. Or do you mean that the anarchist movement was homophobic? In this case we can point to some well known gay activists...such as an out lesbian poet who was one of the founders of Mujeres Libres. Just as there was sexism in the anarchist movement, it's likely there was homophobia..in the attitudes of individuals, but the ideology was not. Historian Raymond Carr used one of his objections to the CNT the fact that the anarchist movement tried to defend gypsies and gays.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

I do not know much about the Anarchist movement in Spain,but if it took any ques from the other progressive movements at the time I would wager it was queerphobic.

[EvilRedGuy]

Do you mean, was homophobia common in Spain at that time? Answer, probably yes. Or do you mean that the anarchist movement was homophobic? In this case we can point to some well known gay activists...such as an out lesbian poet who was one of the founders of Mujeres Libres. Just as there was sexism in the anarchist movement, it's likely there was homophobia..in the attitudes of individuals, but the ideology was not. Historian Raymond Carr used one of his objections to the CNT the fact that the anarchist movement tried to defend gypsies and gays.

I mean Spain at the time, yes, but knowing about whether the Anarchist movement was is also helpful information. Always thought it was a bit more open than Soviet Union, i knew that one of the co-founders of Mujeres Libres was a Lesbian and the others didn't make a big deal about it? How different would you compare Anarchist Spain to other "Socialist" countries on how tolerant they were? Were Stalinists the more homophobic kind? And what about trotskyists?

[Smyg]

There was naturally homophobia, after all - it had been ingrained into their culture for millenia. However, the anarchists were it seems to me far, far more progressive in this question that anyone else in Spanish history.

[#FF0000]

So like are you guys just guessing? Because to be quite honest I kind of doubt the Spanish anarchists were homophobic, given that even the fucking Bolsheviks were all about free-love in goddamn 1917

[Smyg]

My good friend Mr. Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarcho-queer) would like to say otherwise.



Despite these supportive stances, the anarchist movement of the time certainly wasn't free of homophobia: an editorial in an influential Spanish anarchist journal from 1935 argued that an Anarchist shouldn't even associate with homosexuals, let alone be one: "If you are an anarchist, that means that you are more morally upright and physically strong than the average man. And he who likes inverts is no real man, and is therefore no real anarchist."
Lucía Sánchez Saornil was a main founder of the spanish anarcha-feminist federation Mujeres Libres who was open about her lesbianism.

[syndicat]

Despite these supportive stances, the anarchist movement of the time certainly wasn't free of homophobia: an editorial in an influential Spanish anarchist journal from 1935 argued that an Anarchist shouldn't even associate with homosexuals, let alone be one: "If you are an anarchist, that means that you are more morally upright and physically strong than the average man. And he who likes inverts is no real man, and is therefore no real anarchist."

who could reasonably expect otherwise? it was a mass based working class movement in a country where sexual division of labor was entrenched along with machista attitudes. internal conflicts ("contradictions" as Marxists would say) are bound to happen, as people are in the process of struggle for their liberation, and learning about others. the anarchist movement was not entirely supportive of Mujeres Libres, because many of the older generation weren't prepared to support an autonomous movement for women's liberation. it was an internal struggle within the movement to expand support for a women's movement, a struggle that gained over time increasing support, particularly from the younger generation of militants. but they didn't give Mujeres Libres the same level of recognition of, say, the Libertarian Youth. from a later perspective, Mujeres Libres is seen as being in the vanguard of social change in that period.

[EvilRedGuy]

So like are you guys just guessing? Because to be quite honest I kind of doubt the Spanish anarchists were homophobic, given that even the fucking Bolsheviks were all about free-love in goddamn 1917

They were?

[#FF0000]

They were?

Yeah

[EvilRedGuy]

Yeah

I'd like to some evidence, thanks. It's not that i don't believe you i just need some evidence.