Available in book shops from 12 June, “Darrere les persianes” is a graphic novel that traces the history of lesbian memory in Barcelona.
In the book we accompany two master’s students undertaking a research project on the silenced and often invisibilised history of lesbians.
Over the course of their research, they come across notable figures from the Second Republic, such as Lucía Sánchez Saornil, Irene Polo and Anna M. Martínez Sagi. They also discover the atrocities of the Francoist Patronato de Protección a la Mujer, or Women’s Protection Board, and reveal the clandestine communication and resistance prevalent during the dictatorship.
They continue retracing this history with the social, cultural and artistic and festive explosion of the Transition, right up to the law on same sex marriage, which marked a watershed moment.
With nimble language and a series of illustrations that recreate now iconic photographs, the comic features the testimonies and memories of the people who played a key role in historic landmarks in the struggle for lesbian rights.
The book is based on an original idea from LGBTI activist Maria Giralt, with a script by Isabel Franc and illustrations by Rosa Navarro. It is published by Barcelona Llibres and forms part of the collection “Barcelona Memòria en Vinyetes” [Barcelona Memory in Vignettes]. It will be launched on 20 June at 6.00 pm at the Barcelona LGTBI Centre, in an event attended by the authors of the book.
A walking tour through the memory of lesbians
Taking the graphic novel as a starting point, the Barcelona LGTBI Centre is launching a route entitled “Darrere les persianes” [Behind the blinds], a guided tour of the history of lesbians in the city, which forms part of the programme “interferències.memòries col·lectives”[interferences. collective memories].
The first of these tours will take place this Saturday 4 May from 11 am to 1 pm, and will take in various locations in the Gothic Quarter and Raval district, looking at the repression of lesbians and also how they undertook activism to defend their rights, and the visibilisation strategies used in relation to leisure and culture.
The tour will be led by Maio Serrasolsas Moreno, a transfeminist artist and lesbian activist who is passionate about historical memory, sharing knowledge and being able to construct collective maps.
The subsequent tours will take place on Saturday 11 and 25 May and 1 June. All the places on the tours were booked up in just a few hours. We at the LGBTI Centre thank you for your interest in this activity and apologise for any inconvenience.
If you did not manage to book a place, you have another opportunity on Tuesday 14 June from 6.30 pm to 8.00 pm, as part of dissidence week organised by the Barcelona Youth Council (CJB). Prior booking required by clicking here.