Backwards is forward: Reclaiming sexual and gender diversity in Galicia through literature

Abstract

In this article, I try to explore to what extent queer lives, expressions and representation have been obscured in Galicia by the mainstream narrative of ‘atraso’ (backwardness), applied not only to the economy, but also to social structures. After I situate myself in the discussion, I will explore the way Galicia as a nation has been constructed as a place where queer lives are at risk or simply do not exist. The narrative of ‘atraso’ will be unveiled as a tool to assimilate diverse identities to a single Spanish one, especially when we analyse the facts, traces and gaps through which diverse sexual/gender identities have expressed themselves in Galician culture(s). I will finally explore how literature has operated in this complex scenario as a way to reclaim queer lives on our own terms. I will present some historical background to then analyse current trends in the way queer readings are introduced in contemporary Galician literature.