MADRID, 07/01/2023.- The Minister for Equality, Irene Montero (i), and the Minister for Social Rights and the 2030 Agenda, Ione Belarra, participate in the 2023 LGBTI Pride march this Saturday, in Madrid. EFE/ Victor Lerena
Madrid, Jul 1 (EFE).- Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated this Saturday in the capital of Spain against hate speech that denigrates LGTBI+ people, which seeks to make them invisible and limit or suppress the rights won while the extreme right gain political weight.
The one in Madrid is one of the best-known, most massive and lively rainbow demonstrations in the world, and this year it took place with the motto “For our rights, for our lives, with pride!”, in defense of sexual, affective and family diversity and equal rights.
More than 46 floats paraded, with the support of a hundred or so entities, which expected the participation of more than a million people.
The PP joins the LGTBI Pride demonstration in Madrid for “equality without labels”: “We transfer our commitment to eradicate LGTBIphobia from Spain. Anyone who denies individual rights goes against democracy” https://t. co/rc9RWXuAdf pic.twitter.com/Kyprp5IBYf
— Europa Press (@europapress) July 1, 2023
Several ministers of the left-wing Spanish government (Socialist Party and United We Can) also attended, as this legislature promoted the approval of the law for the real and effective equality of trans people and for the guarantee of the rights of LGTBI people.
“We have a recently approved law and we are not going to let them take it back,” said the president of the LGTBI+ State Federation, Uge Sangil, about a possible change of government after the general elections on July 23.
On the contrary, the presence of representatives of the conservative opposition of the Popular Party (PP) was much more discreet.
The convening organizations encouraged them to “raise their voices” when they see how their rights are “threatened” and “hate speech and LGTBI-phobic crimes have increased.”
In short, “how certain groups want the involution of society and the disappearance of diversity and everything that distances themselves from their corseted lifestyle.”
This is how they refer to the far-right Spanish party Vox, opposed to equality policies and trans laws, which this week prevented the rainbow flag from hanging from town halls and regional parliaments in which it has reached government agreements with the PP.
Three months before the elections, the left accuses the conservatives of being “accomplices” in this eventual reversal of rights for already making a political agreement with this extreme right-wing force. Something that could be repeated in order to reach the national government after the elections.
PRIDE GOES AROUND THE WORLD
The LGTBI+ Pride celebrations have spread for days across several continents, each year with more force, to demand respect, defend sexual and affective diversity, consolidate rights already achieved and achieve others.
As in Latin America, with multitudinous and colorful demonstrations in the most important cities of Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Colombia or Puerto Rico.
In Mexico City they took to the streets with the slogan “Liberty, justice and dignity! They will never erase us!”, and denounced that politicians only remember the LGTBI+ community when the elections approach.
Mexico is one of the Latin American countries with the most advanced legislation on sexual diversity, but it is also the second with the most hate crimes for this reason, only behind Brazil.
The Sao Paulo Gay Pride march, one of the largest in the world, overflowed the center of the largest Brazilian city to protest against the invisibility of these people in social policies.
The participants this year shelved what the organizers call the “disastrous management” of the far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022).
This year, New York Pride defines itself as “Strength in Solidarity”, a reminder that it was born as a protest movement against bigotry wherever it manifests itself.
New Yorkers and tourists packed the mythical Stonewall Inn bar, where on the early morning of June 28, 1969 there was a police raid that ended in riots and gave way to the origin of the march.
Demonstrations are also common in European capitals like the one today in London, with tens of thousands of people, which was momentarily interrupted by some environmentalists (seven were arrested) who were protesting against commercial brands that sponsored the parade. In Paris, a week ago more than 55,000 people participated
Among the exceptions is Russia, where the law penalizes with high fines the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations”, despite the fact that homosexuality ceased to be a crime in 1993.
In Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore are the countries that celebrate LGTBI+ Pride the most in June, while a large demonstration toured Seoul this Saturday with the opposition of Christian groups.
In Indonesia and Malaysia these people face increasing hostility inspired in part by conservative Muslim groups.
Australia, a tolerant country with the LGTBI community, hosted the WorldPride 2023 World Pride festival this year in February.EFE