Welcome to La Huerta: the attempts to curb cross-dressing during the Spring Fiestas in Murcia

Abstract

The Spring Fiestas in Murcia (Spain) present a special example of spontaneous transvestism, as every year young women dress in the local costume originally designed for men. This practice has incurred the wrath of local authorities and the conservative sector, who have tried to counteract it through different campaigns. One example of these was the official poster advertising the Fiestas in 2008, which paradoxically displayed a transvestite couple. The current paper argues that through this poster the local government contributed to subversion, even if their original intention was to enforce tradition. This paper will look first at how the 2008 poster promotes conservative and essential ideals of masculinity and femininity, moving on to an analysis of the transgression intrinsic to it. Finally, the consequences that the 2008 poster has had for the local population will be examined and it will be suggested that Murcians read this picture to legitimate a ‘failure’ to conform to gender norms.