Last Thursday, May 17, the Assembly of Extremadura hosted the institutional event for the International Day against Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. Thus, authorities and representatives of three Extremaduran associations gathered in the Autonomy Room of the regional Chamber where they took the floor to denounce different cases that occur in the region.
Firstly, the president of the Assembly of Extremadura, Blanca Martín, defended that LGTBI activism “must remain strong, present in the streets, putting effort into the visibility of everyone so that together we can conquer those public spaces that “they continue to consider homosexuality, bisexuality, and transsexuality as taboo.”
Likewise, he stressed that “we are here to give visibility, to give light, to empower associations and so that with your social and activist leadership we can build the best Extremadura possible. A friendly Extremadura. An LGTBI Extremadura.”
The event included interventions by the president of Fundación Triángulo, José María Núñez, the president of Extremadura Entiende, Sisi Cáceres, and the president of Chrisallis, Maribel Díaz.
Núñez claimed, among other issues, that HIV detection tests can be carried out “also in our towns, not only in Badajoz and Cáceres.” In addition, he asked that “more powerful intervention be made in education” to implement “specific intervention programs.”
On the other hand, Cáceres called for an action protocol to care for victims of LGTBIphobia because “we know that there are many attacks that are not reported for fear” of the consequences or of having to reveal “a reality when one is not prepared.”
Díaz, in turn, denounced that “trans children and youth are not expected, nor are their existence taken into account” and added that “it is planned that this month the World Health Organization will proceed to depathologize the transsexuality”, although he criticized that “the new definition will continue to leave much to be desired”.
Finally, the Minister of Culture and Equality, Isabel Leire Iglesias, opted to “take advantage of this date to denounce society’s tolerance towards phobias.”