For Fag and Red! Miguel de Molina and the Politics of Memory

The artistic figure of the dancer and singer Miguel de Molina (1908-1993) is presented as a case study to analyse the politics of memory carried out in Spain since the death of the dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. De Molina fled Spain during fascist repression after having suffered a brutal beating for being considered “red” and “fag”. He spent the rest of his life in the Argentinean capital where he developed a successful theatrical career.

In this article we will review how the politics of memory began to vindicate their artistic work since the 1980s, influencing their status as republicans. Although the vindication and reparation of the victims of Franco’s repression have influenced ideological motivations, the “precariousness” of sexual minorities has not been on the agenda of historical memory until very recent dates, so it must also be incorporated into the analysis and interpretation of popular music.