ABSTRACT
The diversification of family life in Spain has occurred later but also faster than in other advanced countries. The types of families, their social acceptance, and their legal regulation have changed profoundly, leading to a greater freedom of choice when planning a family. Pioneering legislation has been adopted to protect LGBTQA+ rights and to regulate medically assisted reproduction. Although the Catholic Church and conservative sectors opposed many of the new measures, nearly all have been endorsed by the Constitutional Court and accepted by subsequent conservative administrations. This deep transformation contrasts with the inertia of tradition as well as social and economic constraints, which are not adequately addressed by social policies, and which have obstructed the fulfillment of individual and family aspirations. Although social research has analyzed the main changes, knowledge gaps remain, especially in connection with emergent family arrangements.
