Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8088-7454
Abstract
In the many published works on the Camino de Santiago, LGBTQ+ people have never been considered as an subject of study. The widespread idea that the Camino is for everyone serves to invisibilise this group of people. The problems and accusations we have had to face in our fieldwork are proof of how uncomfortable it is for some persons to talk about gender, sexuality and non-heteronormative identities on the Camino. Regardless of the variety of motivations for pilgrimage to Santiago, religion continues to have a very strong presence on this itinerary which generates tensions with sexualities, especially those that are not heteronormative. Through in-depth interviews and the use of other sources, we have shown that LGBTQ+ people, despite some initial fears, do not have any kind of problem when undertaking and integrating into the route, although with nuances. Most of them put their spiritual motivations first and, in many cases, express conflicts with religion. The Camino de Santiago often becomes a spiritual adventure, a utopia of life, which facilitates reflection on oneself, including sexuality.
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Recommended Citation
Santos, Xose and NO SECOND NAME, Wisulanbou
(2026)
"LGBTQ+ People on the Camino de Santiago,"
International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage:
Vol. 14:
Iss.
3, Article 13.
Available at:
https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijrtp/vol14/iss3/13