Five Hundred Years of Lgbtqia+ History in Western Nicaragua (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780816542802)

This groundbreaking book reframes five hundred years of western Nicaraguan history by giving gender and sexuality the attention they deserve. Victoria Gonz?lez-Rivera decenters nationalist narratives of triumphant mestizaje and argues that western Nicaragua's LGBTQIA+ history is a profoundly Indigenous one.

In this expansive history, Gonz?lez-Rivera documents connections between Indigeneity, local commerce, and femininity (cis and trans), demonstrating the long history of LGBTQIA+ Nicaraguans. She sheds light on historical events, such as Andres Caballero's 1536 burning at the stake for sodomy. Gonz?lez-Rivera discusses how elite efforts after independence to "modernize" open-air markets led to increased surveillance of LGBTQIA+ working-class individuals. She also examines the 1960s and the Somoza dictatorship, when another wave of persecution emerged, targeting working-­class gay men and trans women, leading to a more stringent anti-sodomy law.

The centuries prior to the post-1990 political movement for greater LGBTQIA+ rights demonstrate that, far from being marginal, LGBTQIA+ Nicaraguans have been active in every area of society for hundreds of years.

Author: Victoria Gonz?lez-Rivera
ISBN-10: 0816542805
ISBN-13: 9780816542802
Publisher: University of Arizona Press
Language: English
Published: 10/08/2024
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.36lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.10w x 1.10d