Political dynamics, conflicts and straitjackets surrounding Spanish “Trans” legislation: a multiscalar and intersectional analysis

Abstract

The current legislative period in Spain, which started in December 2019 and inaugurated a so called “new political cycle” stands out from previous democratic periods because: 1) for the first time in the democratic history of Spain (since 1978), the government is ruled by a Coalition; and 2) the far-right, embodied in the political party VOX, became the third force in the Parliament (see Figure 1).

Drawing on this political context, this work presents some of the findings of the Project “Women Movements and Contemporary Feminisms in Spain. Political dynamics” (Movimientos de Mujeres y Feminismos Contemporáneos en España. Dinámicas Políticas, in Spanish). The research questions if the sociopolitical and parliamentary dynamics revolving around the feminist agenda have become more conflict-driven during the Coalition Government (from 2019 onwards) in Spain, given the opposing viewpoints and discourses co-opting the debates surrounding expansionary legislative initiatives including new political subjects and right holders. To answer this, the project draws on an intersectional perspective and delves into different gender-related topics, namely ‘gender violence’ and ‘gender identity’ (LGBTQIA+), which were thought to be central within the ‘political opportunity structure’ (Tilly & Tarrow, 2015) opened up with the formation of a Government resting on capacity to create (or not) ‘political agreements’.

In order to answer these questions and unfold the character and effects of the political dynamics that have taken place around both of the topics during this legislative period (2019 onwards), this work understands the Parliament as an arena or site of consensus, negotiation and contestation, an institutional setting shaped by multiple actors-agents and crosscut by power relations.