Shifting Agendas: A Longitudinal Analysis of Party Manifestos on LGBTQIA+ Issues in Spain (2003–2023)

This paper examines the evolution of political party positions on LGBTQIA+ and gender+ issues in Spain between 2003 and 2023. Over recent decades, Spain has achieved significant progress in LGBTQIA+ rights (Paternotte, 2011; Minguez Vera and Martin, 2011), establishing a progressive public regime supportive of gender equality after the Francoist dictatorship (Alonso et al., 2023). The democratic transition was pivotal in embedding gender-related issues within Spain’s political framework. Historically, the country’s political system was characterized by strong bipartisan dominance between the social-democratic PSOE and the conservative PP (Rodriguez-Teruel et al., 2018; Montero and Santana, 2020). However, recent years have witnessed major shifts in political dynamics, including the rise of new parties and increasing polarization between progressive and conservative forces, exemplified by Vox’s emergence and its vehement opposition to LGBTQIA+ rights (Rama et al., 2021; Cabezas, 2022). This study employs a longitudinal analysis of party manifestos to trace changes in ideological positioning, issue salience, and the dynamics of policy debates on LGBTQIA+ issues. The 2008 economic crisis marked a turning point, triggering a period of de-democratization and correlating with the PP’s return to power and its implementation of anti-gender policies, including the weakening of gender equality institutions (Bustelo, 2016; Alonso and Lombardo, 2017). The PP’s framing of gender issues as threats to Catholic values (Bonafont and Palau Roqué, 2012) fueled confrontations between feminist movements and anti-gender forces. However, the PP later moderated its stance, opting not to repeal the abortion law and endorsing the Istanbul Convention on gender-based violence. These shifts prompted anti-gender actors to align with Vox, a far-right party that originated as a splinter group from the PP (Rama et al., 2021; Rodriguez-Teruel, 2022). The emergence of Vox and realignment within the PP have reconfigured Spain’s political landscape, influencing the salience and agenda-setting of LGBTQIA+ and gender equality policies. By analyzing two decades of party manifestos, this paper provides insights into the evolution of party alignments, ideological contestation, and the democratic implications of LGBTQIA+ rights in Spain. This research contributes to the literature on morality politics, offering a nuanced understanding of the intersection between LGBTQIA+ issues, democracy, and party politics.