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Volume 38, Issue 3
  • ISSN: 1364-971X
  • E-ISSN: 1758-9150

Abstract

This article presents a first comprehensive empirical account of the resident LGBTQ+ communities of Spanish Ceuta. The starting premise of the article is the character of Ceuta, which is evident not only in the city’s geographic disconnection from mainland Spain and its land border with, and cultural connections to, Morocco, but also in the economic, cultural and religious diversity that mark its society and position it at the intersection of North Africa and Europe and the Global South and North more broadly. This article focuses on the extent to which the interstitial character of the enclave of Ceuta affects the local life experiences of its resident LGBTQ+ communities. It explores aspects of LGBTQ+ life, such as perceptions of anonymity, safety and well-being in the city, including experiences of homophobia, practices of, and attitudes towards, public displays of affection as well as out-migratory intentions.

Resumen

Este artículo presenta un primer intento empírico integral de analizar las comunidades LGBTQ+ residentes de Ceuta, España. La premisa inicial del artículo es el carácter intersticial de Ceuta, que los autores detectan no solo en la desconexión geográfica de la ciudad con la península española y su frontera terrestre con, y conexiones culturales a, Marruecos, sino en la diversidad económica, cultural y religiosa que caracteriza su sociedad y la posiciona en la intersección entre el norte de África y Europa, así como entre el Sur Global y el Norte de manera más amplia. Centrándose en las comunidades LGBTQ+ residentes en Ceuta, esta investigación busca descubrir si, y de ser así, cómo este carácter intersticial ha influido en las experiencias de vida locales en la ciudad. Los aspectos de la vida LGBTQ+ que se exploran incluyen percepciones de anonimato, seguridad y bienestar en la ciudad, incluidas experiencias de homofobia, prácticas y actitudes hacia las demostraciones públicas de afecto, así como las intenciones de migración.

Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • Instituto de Estudios Ceutíes (IEC)
  • Ceuta and the organization of a local workshop
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2026-01-31
2026-04-17

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