Key Facts
- The Franco regime converted homosexual desire into a crime and sexual difference into a synonym for public danger.
- Specific detention centers existed, including the Carabanchel classification center and the Tefía penal colony.
- In prisons like Badajoz, authorities separated detainees into 'active' and 'passive' roles based on physical examinations.
- In the 1970s, some doctors used electroshock therapies in attempts to 'correct' sexual deviation.
- A wave of new books and cultural works is currently investigating this history of repression.
Quick Summary
Recent publications are documenting the systematic repression of LGBTQ+ individuals during the Franco dictatorship. For decades, the regime targeted sexual minorities, converting private desire into a crime and difference into a synonym for public danger.
These new works detail a network of persecution that included:
- Redadas (police raids)
- Specialized detention centers like Carabanchel
- Penal colonies such as Tefía
Authorities subjected detainees to humiliating physical examinations to separate 'active' and 'passive' roles, aiming to prevent any possibility of intimacy. As the regime weakened in the 1970s, violence shifted forms rather than ending, leaving a trail of fear and silence that extended well into the recent past.
Systemic Repression and Detention
The Franco dictatorship institutionalized the persecution of homosexuality, turning sexual privacy into a matter for police and psychiatric records. For decades, the state viewed sexual difference as a threat to public order, leading to organized crackdowns and the establishment of specific facilities to contain those deemed deviant.
Authorities created a network of institutions designed to punish and 'correct' LGBTQ+ individuals. This included classification centers and prisons where the regime enforced strict segregation. In facilities like the Carabanchel center and the prison in Badajoz, detainees were subjected to intimate physical examinations. These inspections were used to categorize prisoners as 'active' or 'passive,' a policy intended to prevent sexual contact between inmates.
Beyond standard prisons, the regime established penal colonies for those who defied social norms. The colonia penitenciaria de Tefía served as a specific site of confinement for 'invertidos' who dared to live outside the strict moral code. These measures were part of a broader strategy to erase visible LGBTQ+ existence from public life.
Medical Abuse and Aversive Therapies
The state's repression extended beyond imprisonment into the realm of medicine. Toward the end of the dictatorship, specifically in the 1970s, some doctors attempted to forcibly 'correct' sexual orientation through violent means. This included the administration of electroshock therapies, a form of aversive conditioning intended to punish and alter sexual behavior.
These medical interventions were framed as treatment but functioned as an extension of the state's ideological control. By pathologizing homosexuality, the regime provided a scientific justification for the abuse of individuals. This approach reinforced the idea that LGBTQ+ identity was a defect to be fixed, rather than a variation of human experience.
The use of such brutal methods highlights the depth of the regime's obsession with controlling private lives. It demonstrates that the repression was not solely a legal or police matter but also a medical one, with professionals complicit in the state's human rights violations.
The Legacy of Fear 📚
As the dictatorship began to crumble, the violence against sexual minorities did not simply evaporate. Instead, it transformed and shifted into new institutions and social attitudes. The legacy of this repression created a deep-seated miedo y silencio (fear and silence) that lasted for generations.
Many survivors and their families continued to live under the shadow of the past, often unable to speak openly about their experiences. This silence persisted even after the return to democracy and the introduction of legislative advances. The psychological scars of decades of persecution remained, influencing social interactions and personal freedom.
Only recently has there been a concerted effort to recover this history. Through literature, comics, films, and series, a new generation is confronting the past. This cultural movement aims to ensure that the suffering of those targeted by the regime is acknowledged and that the history of the LGTBI collective is not erased.
New Publications on the History
Several recent publications are central to this effort to document and analyze the repression of the era. These works range from historical essays to narrative accounts, offering diverse perspectives on the period.
Key titles include:
- Manuel Espín - Sexo en el franquismo (Almuzara, 2025)
- Mikel Herrán - Sodomitas, vagas y maleantes (Planeta, 2025)
- Javier Fernández Galeano - Obscenidad queer. Archivos eróticos en la España dictatorial (Bellaterra, 2025)
- Àfrica Alonso - Una luz tímida (Seix Barral, 2024)
- Fernando Olmeda - El látigo y la pluma. Homosexuales en la España de Franco (Dos Bigotes, 2023)
- Nando López - Los elegidos (Destino, 2023)
- Geoffroy Huard y Javier Fernández Galeano - Las locas en el archivo. Disidencia sexual bajo el franquismo (Marcial Pons, 2023)
- Marina Velasco - Que no se olvide (Salamandra Graphic, 2023)
These publications collectively contribute to a growing archive of memory, ensuring that the history of the persecution is preserved for future generations.
