Canary Islands' Dark Secret: The Untold Story of Tefía's LGBTQ+ Prison

The Canary Islands' Hidden History: Tefía's Legacy of LGBTQ+ Persecution and Resilience The sun-drenched Canary Islands, a popular tourist destination, hold a somber secret within their idyllic landscapes. In the heart of Fuerteventura lies Tefía, the site of a former Penitentiary Agricultural Colony that served as a prison during the Franco dictatorship. This colony wasn't just any prison; it held a disproportionate number of LGBTQ+ individuals, subjected to forced labor and systematic abuse. "Thirty percent of the prisoners were homosexual," explains Anapology, a content creator who sheds light on this dark chapter of history in a recent video. "They received beatings and humiliations daily." The video depicts the grim reality of these prisoners' lives, showing images of forced labor and highlighting the starvation they endured. The colony's harsh conditions extended to the denial of basic necessities. Families attempting to send food parcels found their efforts thwarted by guards who held the food until the prisoners were emaciated. Anapology's video poignantly captures this cruelty, illustrating the depth of the suffering. The Tefía colony finally closed in 1966, but its legacy persists. In 2008, the Canary Islands government commemorated the site as a symbol of the struggle against homophobia and transphobia, transforming the area into a memorial for those who suffered there. This recognition, while long overdue, serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of remembering and learning from the past. The story of Tefía is not just a local tale; it's a universal testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of oppression.