| Gaysper | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First appearance | Vox official Twitter account |
| Based on | Android 5.0 ghostemoji |
| In-universe information | |
| Affiliation | LGBT movement |
| Part of theLGBTQ series |
| LGBTQ symbols |
|---|
| Symbols |
| Pride flags |
Gaysper is anLGBT symbol based on theghostemoji (U+1F47B, "👻") ofAndroid 5.0. It is a modification of the original icon that uses a background with the colors of therainbow flag. It became popular in Spain from April 2019 following a tweet posted on the official account of the populist far-right partyVox, after which a multitude of users belonging to theLGBT movement began to use it as a symbol.[1][2] The icon has established itself as an example of the phenomenon ofreappropriation of elements of the anti-LGBT discourse in contemporary society through social networks.[3][4]
On 28 April 2019,general elections were being held in Spain. The same day, the populist right-wing party Vox shared a controversial tweet in which it invited its voters to vote through the claim "Let the battle begin!". The message was accompanied by aphotomontage ofAragorn, a protagonist of theLord of the Rings saga, in which he appeared facing a crowd oforcs, whose figure had been modified and replaced with symbols contrary to the party's ideology: thefeminist symbol, thehammer and sickle, theflag of theSecond Spanish Republic and theCatalan independenceestelada, several logos of media outlets such asEl País orCadena SER, the symbol of theraised fist, the symbol of theanti-fascist movement and, among them, a modified version of the ghost emoji (👻) of the Android 5.0 version with the colors of theLGBT flag.[2]
The use of the symbol in the tweet met with an initial negative reaction from theLGBT community on Twitter. However, it would later end up using it for the creation ofmemes, and finally as a symbol of the community in a phenomenon ofreappropriation. The icon would end up being known asGaysper, in aportmanteau of the wordgay andCasper the Friendly Ghost; and subsequently spread in press and television. It was shared by popular figures of the Spanish media scene such as Mikel Iturriaga andBrays Efe, among others.[3][5] According to an analysis of the social impact of Gaysper published in February 2021, the icon became the biggest topic of diffusion on the Internet in Spain on the day of its publication.[4]
Warner Bros. would respond to Vox's tweet by stating that its company had not authorized the party to use its copyrighted images.[6] On May 1, 2019, a representation of the icon would appear on an episode of the television programLate Motiv, in which he was "interviewed" byAndreu Buenafuente. His voice was represented by the deputy director of the program, Bob Pop.[7]
On May 21, 2019,PSOE deputiesFelipe Sicilia andArnau Ramírez would attend a parliamentary session inCongress wearing a T-shirt bearing the icon.[8][9] Different merchandising items of the icon would become popular in the following months, on the occasion of the celebration of theInternational LGBT Pride Day.[10] Likewise, versions derived from the symbol would become popular with other flags belonging to the community, such as thetransgender or thebisexual flag.[3][11][12]
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Media related toGaysper at Wikimedia Commons
