Between invisibility and homonormativity: LGBT+ referents for spanish adolescents

Abstract

Studies show the importance of non-cis-heteronormative referents for LGBT+. The object of this paper is to explore LGBT+ referents for teenagers on the basis of the results of the “Survey on Adolescence and Sexual Diversity,” which was distributed to Spanish high school students in the fourth grade of compulsory secondary education The sample was composed of 128 students aged 15–18. About 56.2% identified as girls, 43.8% identified as boys; none identified as non-binary or trans. The results of the quantitative analysis of the survey data highlight the invisibility of non-heteronormative identities and the role of the media as the main purveyor of these identities. Suggestions are offered for the transformation of communicative spaces to embrace diversity and inclusivity.