Abstract

In Spain, the laws of heritage, both national and those of autonomous regions do not make specific references to the lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual and intersex (LGTBI) heritage. The few references that we can find refer to the regional laws on LGTBI equality. The present investigation has three main objectives: 1) to analyze, categorize and compare the presence and considerations on LGTBI heritage in the 9 Autonomous Communities that have legislated in terms of equality and non-discrimination in relation to LGTBI people; 2) to know if the mentions of heritage have to do with material or intangible historical heritage and historical sites in a context of timelessness, or, conversely, if allusions have to do with assets related to Francoism or of recent creation; and 3) to analyze the possible provisions that these laws may make on the presence of LGTBI-themed funds in libraries and the creation of specialized documentation centers. The methodology used is qualitative and comparative. 

Abstract

Transsexuality has found a place in both the Spanish collective mindset and media. To analyze the portrayal of this type of sexual diversity in the media, we evaluated its presence in cybermedia, its preeminence in journalistic texts, and the issues addressed in its media coverage. A quantitative content analysis (N = 24,363) of the journalistic texts published during the period 2000–2020 by 13 generalist Spanish cybermedia was carried out, using both rule-based classification and unsupervised topic modeling. The results highlight an increase in journalistic texts about transsexuality, in which three inflection points and four phases or distribution changes can be distinguished. The preeminence of this topic within the analyzed pieces has also increased, and the issues covered have diversified over the years. Overall, these data confirm the newsworthiness that this type of sexual diversity achieved throughout the first two decades of the twenty-first century. Media attention especially highlights the newsworthiness of aspects such as conflict, the protagonist’s notoriety, or periodicity through anniversary journalism. Likewise, the results also suggest that the media offer an increasingly complex portrayal that favors both the visibility and the understanding of the different dimensions and characteristics that intersect in these realities.