LGBT Tourism Index
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LGBT Tourism index Introduction 2 Introduction to the LGBT movement 6 Barcelona 10 General map of Barcelona 34 Map of Eixample Esquerre 36 Map of Eixample Dret 38 Map of Ciutat Vella 40 Map of Les Corts & Sarrià - Sant Gervasi 42 Map of Gràcia & Sant Martí 44 Map of Sants Montjuïc 46 Costa de Barcelona - Maresme 48 Costa de Garraf 50 Map of Sitges 58 Catalunya Central 60 Costa Brava 64 Map of Lloret de Mar 72 Costa Daurada 74 Map of Tarragona 78 Terres de Lleida 80 Pirineus i Val d’Aran 84 Terres de l’Ebre 88 Turisme de Catalunya, one of the aims of which is to carry out actions in the area of marketing and sales, as well as providing services that increase the wealth and prosperity of Catalonia’s tourist industry, would like to make its contribution to the LGBT community by supporting spaces where respect for people’s freedom is noticeable, also showing all that Catalonia offers, as a country supporting diversity. catalunya Mediterranean Sea The vitality and modernity of its cities make Catalonia a prime destina- tion for a weekend get-away any time of the year. Catalonia is cur- rently one of the main European focal points of creativity and design, and Barcelona has become a big commercial showcase and the Mediterranean capital of modernity. In recent years, this creativity has also been reflected in the field of urban planning, with the works of catalunya FRANCE Mediterranean Sea Mies Van der Rohe, Frank Gehry, Arata Isozaki, Richard Meier or Jean Nouvel, and the innovative Agbar tower. Catalan Modernism, a widespread cultural movement from the late 19th and early 20th century, with Antoni Gaudí as its most outstand- ing figure, has left its mark throughout the region. The LGBT Movement in Catalonia Catalonia was the cradle of the gay, lesbian, and transsexual movement in 1970, when the first clandestine group in our history was formed in Barcelona. Since then, associations have advanced a great deal, and their brave struggle for equality and public recognition of the existence of the LGBT community has allowed the development of a largely positive social attitude towards homosexuality. Sitges was also a pioneer, inaugurating in 1980 one of the first discotheques for the country’s gay public, which was soon followed by a large entertainment and sales network which remains in full operation today. Catalonia has experienced these realities, generated by the world of associations and also led by commercial initiative, in a calm manner, absorbing the meaning and drawing its own conclusions; thus, our society mainly respects and recognises the LGBT community, and our institutions have responded to the movement’s requests through laws and direct actions. But it doesn’t all end with symbolic gestures, rather we are also pioneers in promoting laws that favour equality and respect for LGBT people, such as allowing same-sex couples to adopt, or the creation of the 6 The LGBT Movement in Catalonia National Council of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexual Men and Women, and Bisexuals. The commitment goes beyond this, and even the Generalitat de Catalunya became a part of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) in 2007, as an institutional collaborator, becoming the first national government to enter this body. All of these factors have generated social respect and have resulted in a country where diversity is reflected; a country which, besides the variety offered by the city of Barcelona, or the tradition of Sitges, also offers proposals of all kinds for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals throughout its territory: from rural or family lodging, to bars and discotheques, restaurants or shops. From Freedom to Pride In 1970, the MELH (Spanish Movement for Homosexual Liberation) was created, one of the first in the country. Founded by Armand de Fluvià,it was the response to the preliminary project of the Law of Dangerousness and Social Rehabilitation, which, under Franco’s dictatorship, sought to condemn homosexuals for their very existence. Beginning in 1971, the MELH met secretly in Barcelona, in a different place each time, as it was pursued by the police. After Franco’s death in 1975, members of the MELH and new people who joined founded the FAGC (Front for Gay Freedom of Catalonia), a very influential group, which was the first to work in a stable manner in favour of gay and lesbian rights. With the arrival of democracy, in 1976 Armand de Fluvià, along with a group of activists, created the Institut Lambda, intended as a centre for LGBT services, and not so much as a tool for protest. 7 A gay movement that was increasingly present filled the streets of Barcelona on the 28th of June of 1977, in the first demonstration of gays, lesbians and transsexuals, which is still held every year. In 1979, homosexuality was removed from the Law of Social Dangerousness, although the article of the Penal Code regulating so- called “public scandal” was applied to homosexuals if they did any public activity that could be considered an attack on public morals. In 1980, Jordi Lozano, known as Jordi Petit, replaced Armand de Fluvià at the head of the FAGC. These two, along with Alejo Sarbacj and Albert Oliva, founded the Gay-Lesbian Coordinator of Catalonia (CGL). As far as groups of women and lesbians go, there is a long tradition; in 1975 the first Feminist Group was created, and the following year, the first Catalan Women’s Conferences were held. In 1977 the Lesbian Group of Barcelona of the FAGC was founded. In 1979, the Feminist Party was created, and later the Lesbian Freedom Struggle Group (GLAL) was presented in Barcelona. At the beginning of the 80’s the work of lesbian feminist groups was reinforced, with Empar Pineda as the best-known representative, and in 1988 Ca la Dona was inaugurated, a space that is still very active. In the 90’s the Casal Girls’ Group was created, part of the Casal Lambda, which along with the Group of Lesbian Feminists and Lesbos Group, continues to head the Catalonia lesbian and women’s movement. More than Symbols or Words The work of the LGBT movement and the social changes that Catalonia has undergone, very evident since the beginning of the 21st century, have been reflected in a series of laws and the recognition of rights that have made ours one of the most advanced countries in the world in this regard. Since 1973, when homosexuality was removed from the list of mental illnesses set out by the American Psychiatric Association, we have come a long way towards respecting the equality and dignity of LGBT people, which in Catalonia is now reflected in laws and institutions. Turisme de Catalunya has been advised by a committee created for this purpose and made up of the Program for the gay, lesbian, and transsexual group of the Department of Social Action and Citizenship of the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalonia’s autonomous government), the National LGBT Council of Catalonia, the Association of Lesbian and Gay Families, LGBT tourism consultants, the Gay-Lesbian Coordinator, and Casal Lambda. 8 The LGBT Turisme advisory committee has established the criteria for the selection of the establishments that appear in this publication based on a study commissioned by Turisme de Catalunya. The city of Barcelona has so much to offer, that these criteria have had to be adapted according to whether or not the establishments belong to the ILGTA and whether the offer is specifically addressed to the group, in a manner agreed upon with the Union of Hotels of Barcelona and the collaboration of the main travel agency associations. In 1998, the Parliament of Catalonia approved the Law of Stable Couple Unions, the first of this kind in the country. This step seems small if it is compared with what would come later, especially in 2005, when the law allowing marriage between those of the same sex was passed, and again, when the Generalitat de Catalunya took the initiative once more, by creating, one 28th of June, the Program for the Gay, Lesbian and Transsexual Collective. 2005 also brought good news for the recognition of families with homosexual parents, with the approval of the reform of the Family Code allowing lesbians and gays to adopt children. With the desire to make the country’s LGBT reality visible, the main buildings of the Government of Catalonia raise the rainbow flag on the 28th of June to celebrate Gay, Lesbian, Transsexual and Bisexual Pride, an initiative shared by many town halls. In 2007, the National LGBT Council of Catalonia was founded. The same year, the Public Prosecutor of Catalonia created the figure of the Public Prosecutor Coordinator against Homophobia, intended to supervise the legal actions undertaken against homophobic acts. The last step taken by the Generalitat de Catalunya, a brave and decided one, was to enter into the ILGA (International Lesbian and Gay Association). It is the first government to join, once again supporting LGBT visibility by providing support to the 2008 Eurogames in Barcelona. These unambiguous actions and positions make Catalonia one of the countries in the world where the laws are most advanced in terms of LGBT rights, underlining respect for diversity and protecting personal freedom. 9 barcelona With over 4 km of coast, the recovery of the seafront has been one of the Catalan capital’s most important transformations. barcelona On the other hand, the museums of Barcelona hold a very valuable legacy. Especially the MNAC, in the Palau Nacional de Montjuïc, which houses one of the most important Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque collections in the country. The Museum of Contemporary Art (the MACBA) also stands out, the Museum of the History of Catalonia, the Museum of History of the City, in the Plaça del Rei, the Maritime Museum, at the city’s old shipyards, the Picasso Museum or the Miró Foundation, to name only a few of the most well-known.