Spain's
government is considering compensating gays who may have
been tortured, thrown in mental hospitals, or
imprisoned during Gen. Francisco Franco's brutal
dictatorship.
According to
The [London] Independent, many gays were
prevented from working under the Franco regime due to
their "criminal records." Under Franco's homophobic
rule, gays were often jailed or put in "correction
camps," where they were given electric shocks to quell
their sexual urges. Some prisoners were forced to watch
heterosexual pornography.
The Spanish
government may offer money to those who suffered
persecution. The Spanish justice minister, Juan
Fernando Lopez Aguilar, is considering granting
victims a pension of 800 euros a month, plus a onetime
12,000 euro payment for what they suffered under
the regime. The compensation package could be
introduced in two months.
Many of the
thousands of victims have since died, The Independent reported, but a few hundred might
be able to collect the compensation. (The
Advocate)
