Lesbian Barcelona in comic strips
- Books
- Culture Folder
- Jul 24
- 4 mins
The drawing depicts a corner of Avinguda del Paral·lel where two women share a kiss with the Teatre Arnau in the background, imbued with the essence of the title, Darrere les persianes [Behind the Shutters]. It serves as the gateway to a graphic narrative that brings to light the memory of lesbian Barcelona from part of the 20th century.
This project, conceived by Maria Giralt and brought to life by Isabel Franc’s words and Rosa Navarro’s illustrations, seeks to resurrect the reference points of lesbianism in our city. It’s astonishing that despite the numerous women featured in this book and the variety of names we’ve been called, we could remain so invisible.
An essential graphic narrative that highlights the lesbian women who have contributed to making Barcelona a proud city.
Darrere les persianes, a phrase originating from the first LGBTQ+ demonstration in the country in 1977, serves as the backdrop for two students conducting their master’s thesis on the history of lesbianism in Barcelona. Based on this premise, the comic delves into lesbian archaeology in documentation centres, resurrecting lesbian women who, were it not for the Spanish Civil War and the Franco dictatorship, would have been influential figures for several generations.
From the 1930s, the work reintroduces, for example, two pioneers in journalism. Irene Polo, an openly lesbian woman and a friend of Xirgu, was professionally admired by her male colleagues, including the chronicler Sempronio. Similarly, Anna Maria Martínez Sagi, a reporter, poet and athlete, led a thrilling life and was dubbed “the stadium virgin” by journalist César González-Ruano. She fell in love with another writer, Elisabet Mulder.
During the post-war years, the students discover, after visiting Ca la Dona, an essential article by Matilde Albarracín titled “Libreras y tebeos, las voces de las lesbianas mayores” [Female Booksellers and Comics: The Voices of Older Lesbians]. This article gathers testimonies that explain the strategies of women “involved in the matter” to survive during the dictatorship.
Book coverDuring the Franco era, the two young women of the 21st century learn about the obsessive and perverse persecution of homosexuality. It began with the “Vagrancy and Loitering Law” and continued with the “Law on Dangerousness and Social Rehabilitation”, which not only criminalised homosexual practices but also targeted sexual orientation. Consequently, anyone suspected of “abnormal” tendencies could be detained without having committed any specific act.
This was the case of Elena N. G., arrested in Barcelona in 1974 “for suspicious behaviour wearing male clothing”. The demonstration in Barcelona on 26 June 1977 – illustrated with images inspired by the photographs taken by Colita – marked a watershed moment.
A story to change the system
The book also sheds light on figures associated with organisations and associations advocating for lesbian rights, such as Casal Lambda. It includes many more notable women, like Gretel Ammann, who spearheaded separatist lesbianism and, alongside her partner, Lola Majoral, established the Women’s Studies Centre; the founders of the LaSal publishing house, who propelled lesbian-themed literature forward; feminist activist Empar Pineda, or Maria Giralt, who worked at the iconic Daniel’s bar and is a beacon of entrepreneurship. She has a mantra that encapsulates her ethos and is one she never tires of proclaiming: “Lesbians get things done!”
The journey through time in Darrere les persianes takes us to the 1990s and the 2000s, when lesbians, who already had a circuit of venues and nightlife in Barcelona (Members, Patmos, Bahía, Imagine, etc.), began to gain visibility in culture. In 1993, Rosa Montero wrote an article about lesbians, which made the cover of the Sunday edition of El País. In 1994, Cómplices, the first LGBTQ+ bookshop in the country, opened alongside Berkana (Madrid), established by the publishing house Egales, and published a classic, Con pedigree [With Pedigree], by Isabel Franc (who writes under the name Lola Van Guardia). In 1997, Antinous opened, and five years later, in 2003 (two years before the approval of same-sex marriage), breaking down barriers, the first self-help book for lesbians was published, Más que amigas [More than Female Friends], by Jennifer Quiles.
Darrere les persianes concludes with a statement that serves as both a verdict and a lesson: “Having the narrative is a way to change the macho and patriarchal system. With our pens, we sketch our own memory… so that there is never any forgetting”.
Darrere les persianes.
Isabel Franc and Rosa Navarro
Barcelona City Council,
‘Barcelona, Memòria en vinyetes’
[Comic Strip Memoir]
Collection, 2024.
96 pages
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