Curso de Gramtica, Composicin y Conversacin - Madrid Da. Teresa Cabrea Hernndez Clayton VerBerkmoes 05.08.

2013 Espaa: Un Lder en Mundialmente Aceptacin When it comes to acceptance, the issue of homosexuals in society is a major issue worldwide. For years homosexuals have been discriminated against, punished, and exiled. It was not until the late 21st century that homosexuals began to be welcomed and considered a functioning part of society. However, the rate of acceptance towards homosexuals differs by country. I knew that I was gay for many years. It was not until I was in Universidad that I came out. Even in the 21st century, being a homosexual can be difficult. However, the geographical position, in which a person lives, is the ultimate factor that determines how their life will be as a homosexual. I am from the United States, but if I were from Spain, my story might be very different During the summer of 2013, PEW Research Center released a survey based on the question: Should society accept homosexuality? The results showed that Spain is the most accepting country when it comes to the issue of homosexuality. In fact, in 2005, Spain was the third country to legalize gay marriage, despite being dominantly catholic (http://www.pewglobal.org/2013/06/04/the-global-divide-on-homosexuality/). So what makes Spain so accepting? The answer is history. Spain has always been devoted to the church. Two periods of Spains history are the demonstrate this perfectly: Los Reyes Catolico y Francos dictatorship. Under Francos rule, the church and its teachings were the law. Therefore, gays were an abomination in the eyes of

the church. To be gay was to be a criminal. Homosexuals were imprisoned or put in sinister mental institutions known as "correction camps" where they were the subjects of different experiments. These experiments, such as electric shock and many others, were used to try to change homosexuals to herterosexuals. Homosexuals were seen as an offence under the "law against delinquency and criminals" introduced in 1954. Because homosexuality was listed as a criminal offense, gays were unable to work nor contribute to their pensions (________). Many gay people who suffered at the hands of the regime are reluctant to raise the issue because of the horrors it brings back or because they still fear society's attitudes. Even after Franco died, persecution against gays continued. They were still imprisoned until 1979 and even though thousands of political prisoners were pardoned in 1976, gay people had to serve their sentences. It was not until 2001 that Spain finally announced that they would clean the criminal records of gays convicted under Franco. In my opinion, it is for these reasons that Spain is so accepting towards gays. In other words, the oppression of gays by means of torture and punishment under the rule of Franco, has led people to want to distance themselves as far away as possible from this horrible point in history. In the survey released by the PEW Research Center, the United States was ranked number 4 with only 60% of the population believing that homosexuality should be accepted. (http://www.pewglobal.org/2013/06/04/the-global-divide-on-homosexuality/). I personally believe that the people of the United States are not as open towards homosexuality because they have never experienced the oppression of homosexuals at a government level based on the teachings of the church. The citizens of Spain aim to be free, open, everything they could not be under the rule of Franco. In conclusion, the culture of Spain includes complete freedom of sexuality, in particular homosexuality as a result of years under control of Franco. On the other hand the United States continues to grow more accepting but still bases their

social norms on the bible, which has never been used as a governmental tool. I believe that with time, the younger generation will emerge as citizens that are totally accepting of homosexuals. However, it will take much longer than it did for Spain.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/gay-victims-of-franco-era-to-wincompensation-430006.html