Madrid Metro has announced plans to offer 38 free annual passes to the Spanish Association of Transsexuals (AET) to encourage the integration of transsexual men and women in the city.
The regional government for the Madrid region confirmed the plans in a statement, adding that the passes would go to to people facing social exclusion who were helped by the AET.
“Madrid Metro sees raising awareness to avoid any kind of prejudice and discrimination as a priority,” said the statement.
Madrid Metro also confirmed the plans:
“Madrid Metro aims to continue to be a vehicle for raising awareness of discrimination and in favour of respect for diversity.”
It also tweeted about the plan:
Metro y Transexualia inician una colaboración para la integración social de mujeres y hombres transexuales. https://t.co/t9tOY9K1zB
— Metro de Madrid (@metro_madrid) January 24, 2016
“Metro and Transsexual Association start a collaboration for the social integration of transsexual women and men.”
The move has caused controversy in Spain, with many people taking to social media to voice their opinions.
Many have blamed Madrid’s mayor, the left-wing Manuela Carmena for the move, despite the fact that the city’s metro is under the jurisdiction of the Community of Madrid, run by the right-wing Popular Party.
Metro Madrid da pases gratuitos a transexuales para promover su integración O sea discriminan a quienes ni lo son. Se financian ellos mismos
— Urdin Irratia FRANCE (@UrdinUrdin) January 24, 2016
“Madrid Metro is giving metro passes to transsexuals. So they’re discriminating against those who aren’t…”
¿quién es la q va a dar pases gratis a transexuales para el metro?¿La Cifuentes o Carmena? sea quien sea, es una discriminación intolerable
— Mariela de Ulloa (@blythe_club) January 24, 2016
“Whoever it is who's giving free metro passes to transsexuals – Carmena or Cifuentes – it's intolerable discrimination.”
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