Checking out Spain

 My main reason for going to Spain this week was to get a feel for how my trans life might pan out if I were to move there. Spain is probably the most LGBT-friendly place in Europe. 

I have been living in Italy these last four years, which is a country that recognises trans rights, has strong protections for those transitioning, has been improving the lives of trans youth, and has a long history of queer and trans culture going back centuries, such as the femminielli of Naples and the trans women of Genoa. Yet there's something here that doesn't quite embrace trans people and I don't feel quite at ease. So now that I have restored my European citizenship that enables me to live anywhere in the European Union, and now that my gender dysphoria is very strong, I'm looking to see if I can improve my position.

I last went to Barcelona with friends in 2001 and found it fun and interesting. This time it had a very different feel. That's partly because my motives for travel were not purely tourism but also because the main attractions have become outrageously expensive. For a part of the world that was always renowned for being very left-wing, the local council seems to have embraced capitalism in a big way! But I ask you, €39 (that's $42 or £35) just to see a house interior (Casa Battlò) or similar money to see one apartment in a block of flats (La Pedrera)! That's insane! They're not even museums, just homes! You can see the exteriors for free from the street. So I avoided the tourist traps and saw some delightful things for little or no money instead, such as the labyrinth garden and the chocolate museum. Even this early in the year, though, the town was swarming with tourists. However, in compensation, public transport is clean, cheap and efficient; the food is varied and edible and not usually expensive; property and rent is less than many places; the locals are reasonably friendly (although having two local languages creates unhelpful barriers, in my view). There is a problem with drought at the moment, even by Spanish standards, and local politics can still be inflammatory (they tried to secede from Spain in 2017). So, all things to consider if living in that region, not just visiting.

As for LGBT life, Barcelona doesn't seem to need a particular gay quarter or trans clubs since being out as LGBT attracts no particular notice. However, I did take a train trip to Sitges, a seaside resort about 30 miles down the coast, which is renowned for its LGBT culture. A pleasant, pretty place with winding streets full of attractive little shops that reminded me somewhat of the Lanes of Brighton.

There's certainly a more obvious LGBT presence here with rainbow flags at windows, a drag club in the middle of town, a very gay carnival parade in February/March, even a dedicated LGBT lifestyle store ...

The waitress where I had lunch did warn me that the place is not always sleepy like it is in March but in summer gets very crowded.

So, altogether I gathered a lot of information about life in that corner of Spain.

My next post will be more about the pretty things I saw, which is what a trip abroad is really about, right?

Sue x