Gender & Sexuality Studies 2026

Abstract

This presentation proposal explores the evolution of historiographical studies on sexual and gender minorities in the Crown of Castile during the Middle Ages, tracing a path from the categorization of these communities as sodomite criminals to the integration of contemporary perspectives stemming from the “transgender turn.” It examines historical documentary sources such as judicial and notarial records, municipal ordinances, and non-fiction texts like chronicles, confession manuals, and civil and ecclesiastical legislation that allow for the reconstruction of both the legal and moral persecution they endured and the identities, relationships, and social networks within these marginalized communities. It highlights the close relationship between political and religious elites in shaping gender and sexuality norms that influenced discrimination, as well as the cultural complexity that challenges a simplistic view based solely on repression. Additionally, it emphasizes the existence of homosocial communities operating within cultural and familial spaces, with documented examples in several cities that reveal degrees of mutual collaboration and resistance to persecution. The presentation also critically reviews the limitations of traditional historiographical approaches and invites interdisciplinary reflection to incorporate tools from social, legal, and cultural history, thereby strengthening the visibility and analysis of sexual and gender minorities in the medieval Iberian context. Ultimately, the proposal aims to contribute to the academic and public consolidation of these perspectives by offering an updated and plural methodological framework. 

Biography

Jesús Ángel Solórzano Telechea is a Professor of Medieval History at the University of Cantabria, specializing in urban and social history in the Middle Ages. He has led and participated in national and international projects, and has been a visiting researcher at institutions including UCLA, Trinity College Dublin, University of Florence, University of Torun and University of La Sorbonne. He serves as editor-in-chief of Nuova Rivista Storica (New Historical Journal) and is an active member of scholarly networks such as RIMEG and GLOPORTS. His work is distinguished by its integration of social, cultural, and gender approaches to the study of the medieval world.