Major conclusions

Collaborative web mapping to disrupt space

This research highlights the potentialities of participatory geospatial online practices to disrupt the heteronormative socio-spatial landscape. The results of the ‘Creating landscapes’ workshops provide evidence that lesbian and bisexual women can create new landscapes by creating and sharing geospatial web content with their experiences, emotions, thoughts and opinions on same-sex relationships. Providing a lived representation of same-sex public displays of affection through collaborative web maps can play a part in disrupting hegemonic heteronormativity, without exposing individuals to direct discrimination. This approach is particularly relevant on a context of pervasive social discrimination, which is the situation in Portugal as in other EU countries (FRA, 2010). And if one considers that EU is one of the parts of the world where there is a more comprehensive set of legislation protecting individuals against discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, the importance of this approach is even more obvious.

This research project provides evidence that having access to web maps with layers of lesbians’ positive experiences in public spaces can affect the perception of safety and belonging and increase the perceived possibility of same-sex public displays of affection, for women who engage in same-sex relationships. Virtual layers of lesbians’ positive experiences of public spaces can facilitate the occurrence of same-sex public displays of affection, and more frequent same-sex displays of affection in public

spaces feeds back into the way these spaces are perceived in a cyclical process that can contribute to a more equal and non-discriminatory space.

Even though a single experience of being exposed to information on the positive experiences of same-sex public displays of affection may not be sufficient to effectively impact peoples’ representation, it can trigger reflection and questioning, which can precede change. ‘Creating landscapes’ results support the possibility of using collaborative web mapping as a strategy to promote a non-discriminatory public space with respect to sexual orientation. Further work is needed to investigate whether these changes endure over time and to ascertain if the representations and ideas are put into practice and transformed into behaviours.

This research highlights how emotions, subjectivities, and spaces are mutually constitutive, and disclose the heteronormative power structures inscribed in socio- spatial landscapes. Participatory geospatial practices of discriminated groups can create collective significance out of individual actions and turn the invisible visible, constituting countermapping practices that provided alternative possibilities for citizenship. ‘Creating landscapes’ illustrates that geospatial web narratives of memories and stories of a discriminated group, can increase their visibility and contribute to contesting power relations, disrupting pervasive heteronormativity.

More than making visible non-normative sexualities at specific spaces such as LGBT friendly bar areas, or at particular space/time events such as Pride parades and festivals, what can more effectively disrupt the hegemonic heteronormativity is to make them visible on everyday practices in all contexts, spaces and times of people’s lives. Specific LGBT events and spaces resonate with tolerance, with reinforcing hegemonic discourses in public spaces. Extending the visibility of non-normative sexualities beyond private spaces mainly to specific authorized public spaces, can be understood as a way of reinforcing the heteronormativity of public space (Hubbard, 2001). LGBT friendly commercial spaces and Pride events are subject to legal authorizations and limited to specific spaces and times; they are formally controlled as well as contained. What this research proposes is to go beyond those delimited spaces and times, extending the possibility of increasing the visibility of non-normative sexualities to virtually everywhere and on every occasion, by using geospatial online practices and providing alternative opportunities for sexual citizenship.

The possibility of having individuals actively participating in geospatial web practices without having to share personal details (particularly significant on a context of social discrimination) and the web potentialities to minimize geographical and temporal constraints, are determinant factors to transform the geospatial web on a privileged way to contribute to the visibility of the everyday practices of discriminated people.

Translating research findings into equality policy

Notwithstanding that the results of the ‘Layers of Visibility’ workshop support the use of collaborative web mapping as a strategy to create landscapes of non- discriminatory public spaces that are more equal and friendly to lesbians and bisexual women, equality policy is essential for effective change to occur.

Equality policies should consider the specificities of discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, such as the pervasive reality of social discrimination, the possibility of not disclosing one’s sexual orientation, and the widespread invisibility of lesbian and gay sexualities in public spaces. In addition to non-discrimination laws, it is crucial to promote the expression of lesbian and gay sexualities in the public sphere in order to break the cycle of invisibility and to advance significant social change. If equality policies do not actively promote the public visibility of homosexuality and bisexuality, the main burden of making lesbian and gay sexualities visible will be on the shoulders of individuals who have to deal with prejudice and discrimination. Equality policies should provide a wide set of measures that effectively support lesbian women, gay men and bisexual people in their individual struggle to gain public visibility.

These ideas are in line with the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA, 2013) formulation of opinions to support EU and national policy makers to introduce and implement comprehensive and effective legislative and non-legislative measures to respect and safeguard the fundamental rights of LGBT people. Some of the opinions formulated by FRA (2013, pp. 10-14) emphasize that “a more open support by politicians makes LGBT people feel more comfortable about living as LGBT people”, that “EU Member States should encourage more detailed and targeted research at the national level and consider integrating questions on sexual orientation and gender identity in national surveys on areas such as living conditions, wellbeing, health and

employment”, and that “EU Member States should ensure that objective information on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression is part of school curricula to encourage respect and understanding among staff and students, as well as to raise awareness of the problems faced by LGBT people”.

Taking into consideration the specificities of discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, some equality policies might include: a) school curricula related to the diversity of sexualities; b) openly representation of lesbian women, gay men and bisexual people on documents produced by governmental organizations in all areas of public life, such as education, health, justice, security and so on; c) official recognition of the diversity of sexualities in all official statements, discourses and documents; d) the implementation of an inclusive approach to people of all sexual orientations in all public services without assuming that everyone is heterosexual. Visual images are an important and ever-increasing means through which social life happens (Rose, 2007); and it would, therefore, be of particular importance if governmental organizations were to promote the regular public display of images of lesbian and gay sexualities.

Providing unbiased information and actively promoting a positive image is important for combating all forms of discrimination. In regards to sexual orientation, however, it is imperative if we are to guarantee that lesbian women, gay men and bisexual people can live in an open and inclusive environment with the guarantee of being respected and with the real possibility of achieving fulfilment.