Last week the Fundo Theater Company condemned the censorship surrounding Virginia Woolf’s Orlando in Valdemorillo. The troupe described an author who challenged traditional depictions of women, gender roles, and homosexuality as engaging in ideological veto and political censorship. This stance followed Vox’s arrival in the municipality’s Department of Culture under mayor Victoria Amparo Gil of the Abascal party.
In response to these tensions, Berkana Bookstore Madrid, a specialist in LGTBI literature based in Chueca, hosted a public reading of Woolf’s novel at the shop’s doorway this Wednesday. The event aimed to spotlight the censorship issue, with the store distributing 50 copies to the first participants who joined the reading, encouraging community discussion about literary freedom and representation [citation: local cultural press].
“Ladies Fucked Long Ago,” a book about lesbians who made history
Censored works and films
The author of A Room of One’s Own is not alone in facing censorship since Vox gained influence in cultural agencies. In Getafe, the party reportedly pressed for the withdrawal of Lope de Vega’s work The Villain of Getafe on grounds of perceived sexual overtones, prompting criticism from neighborhood theater circles and social media discussions [citation: regional news outlets].
In Cantabria, the mayor of Santa Cruz de Bezana, Carmen Pérez, aligned with coalition partners including Vox, ordered a screening of a film to be removed from the summer lineup. The decision to pull Buzz Lightyear was tied to a scene featuring a same-sex kiss, a moment some see as a meaningful step toward broader acceptance of diverse family structures among younger audiences [citation: local reporting].
#StopCensorship: The cultural world unites against cancellations
Not all cultural efforts were halted in the wake of these debates about LGBTQ+ representation. Artists, performers, and critics mobilized on social media to defend ongoing initiatives and to push back against cancellations that affected the broader arts community [citation: cultural press coverage].
Within Palm’Nua, a production proceeded after actress Ann Perelló spoke out against cancellations attributed to budgeting concerns. The piece confronts themes around eating disorders with stark honesty, offering a punchy, unflinching portrayal that sparked further conversation about the responsibilities of theaters and funding bodies alike [citation: theatre reviews].