public displays of affection: the madrid edition

 [aww, how cute.]

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so i'm going on my fourth week here in madrid and one thing that i constantly notice every time that i'm out and about it the heavy displays of public affection. and i'm not just talking about holding hands or cuddling while walking down the boulevard, i mean intense make out sessions right in the middle of sol or on the metro. and it's not that i'm staring, you just can't help but notice it when you're walking down the street. now personally, i've never been the biggest fan of p.d.a., but after learning why there is such a huge desire to show love here in madrid, i think it's awfully cute and romantic.

according to my tour guide when i first got here, madrid was under the very strict dictatorship of francisco franco from 1939 to 1975.  

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el ley de vagos y maleantes (the vagrancy act) of 1954, franco outlawed homosexuality, pedophilia and prostitution, making them criminal offenses. so that meant no caking, no boo-loving, no nothing for Spainards. this also meant that women in madrid had to play the "traditional" role of housewife/mom/caretaker and really didn't have any rights to testify in court, be university professors or even have their own bank accounts. once franco died in 1975, it was like the citizens of madrid and in surrounding cities were liberated and so ecstatic to break away from the many restrictions they had under franco's dictatorship, thus explaining the culture of today.

***

it just goes to show that we shouldn't be afraid to show love to one another and that something as simply as walking down the street with your boyfriend/girlfriend shouldn't be taken for granted. now, i know that in the united states, whenever we may see a couple showing massive p.d.a., we always encourage to "get them a room", but here in madrid, they really don't care and would probably feel some type of way if you told them that. being over here in spain has allowed me to be more open-minded and observant. in the united states, we can sometimes be so one-sided about things, but once you step outside of the country, you definitely see things a lot differently. so to my american folk, don't be afraid to show a little love every now and then.

"sometimes it's better when it's publicly..." ;-)

☮ and  ♥, 

-*csc.