The Identity of LGBTQ Communication Research: From the Anglo-Saxon Effervescence to the Spanish-Speaking Barrenness

Abstract

Research on discourses and communication processes around and from within LGBTQ communities is an effervescent field of study in the Anglo- Saxon world, a field originated in the 1980s and led by the United States. However, this vibrancy cannot be extrapolated to the Spanish-speaking Ibero-American countries (constituted by Latin America and Spain), where this area, only budding, is epistemologically barren. This article analyzes the identity and main trends of the LGBTQ studies in Hispanophone countries, following a Delphi consultation study with experts from Colombia, México, Perú, and Spain. The results show some of the main current trends and suggest strategies to boost these studies in Ibero-America. As proposed in the Conclusions section, the type of research that we develop in this article is of crucial importance to increase the visibility of sexual minorities in Spanish-speaking societies, giving them voice and thus restoring human dignity.