The great LGBT creators of the 20th century as never before told.

Did you know that Tórtola Valencia, one of the most famous dancers of the first third of the 20th century, had to adopt her girlfriend so she could inherit, and now they are buried as mother and daughter in a Barcelona cemetery? And that Luis Cernuda, one of the great writers of the Generation of '27, wrote Poems for a body Inspired by a Mexican bodybuilder she fell in love with? Did you also know that Francis Bacon, one of the most important British painters of the 20th century, died in Madrid because he came to Spain to meet a boyfriend, or that Carmen Conde, the first woman to be admitted to the Royal Spanish Academy, shared a large part of her life with another woman?

This is just a small sample of the names you'll find in the pages of this informative essay, which, in a lively and direct style, aims to give a place to artists who had to go into hiding due to their sexual dissidence or risk suffering the consequences of living it freely. Biographies such as those of Gil de Biedma, Miguel de Molina, and Mari Trini, among others, will help us reconstruct part of the dissident cultural memory of the 20th century, as well as demonstrate that the rebels of desire, those who had to confront established social norms, have always been there.

Author's biography

Carlos Barea (Granada, 1987) holds a degree in Advertising and Public Relations from Rey Juan Carlos University, a master's degree in Creative Writing from the Hotel Kafka school, and a master's degree in LGBTQ+ Studies from Complutense University of Madrid. He collaborates with various media outlets, most notably the TVE program. Neighborhood Cinema, the magazine Shanghai or the cultural supplement The AsmbrarioIn addition to working as an editor and professional reader for different publishing houses.

Regarding his writing career, in 2020 he published his first novel, Blessed are you (Egales), and in 2023 coordinated the collective works Flowers for Lola. A queer and feminist look at the Pharaoh (Dos Bigotes & Egales), Ocaña. The eternal brilliance of the Cantillana Sun (Dos Bigotes) and Pepe Espaliú. Visibility, experiences and cultural constructions surrounding HIV (Rare Flowers). In 2024 he coordinated Eloy de la Iglesia. The hidden pleasure of Spanish cinema (Dos Bigotes) and worked on the script for the documentary Sonia Martinez's last night (RTVE).