This has caused outrage among the city’s LGBTQ+ community and beyond, with national politicians wading into the debate and controversial comments from city council members and even the city’s mayor.
Valencia’s city council is a coalition of the centre-right Partido Popular and far-right Vox party.
In response to the decision, the opposition PSPV then hung a huge 60 metre long LGBTQ+ flag from its party headquarters in front of the town hall.
Catalá quería esconder los colores de la libertad y la diversidad, pero les va a resultar imposible porque hemos desplegado una bandera arcoíris de 60m para visibilizar los derechos LGTBI.
🏳️🌈✊🏼 pic.twitter.com/HVJXo8wUiD
— PSPV-PSOE València /❤️ (@PSOEValencia) June 25, 2024
Faced with criticism from opposition parties, the city’s PP mayor, María José Catalá, stated that the council won’t hang the flag from the town hall because, if it did, it would also be obliged to put up “all the flags and social needs” that Valencia has.
“I respect the freedom of my opposition to put up whatever they consider in their offices, but if I put up the Pride flag I also have to put up the Alzheimer’s, ALS or cancer flags,” Catalá said.
The comment has caused widespread anger. Spain’s Minister for Equality, Ana Redondo, challenged Catalá on social media. “Loving is not an illness. The WHO eliminated homosexuality from its list of psychiatric illnesses in 1990,” the minister said.
Querida alcaldesa, la OMS eliminó la homosexualidad de su lista de enfermedades psiquiátricas en 1990, en el siglo pasado.
Amar no es una enfermedad.
Vivir como cada uno siente y quiere vivir, tampoco. #OrgullosamenteLibreshttps://t.co/ziSfGwZ5cw— Ana Redondo (@_anaredondo_) June 26, 2024
The Socialist-led Spanish government is studying whether to take legal action against Valencia’s mayor, to which she has replied “I’m not a homophobe, give it a rest!”. Other members of her government have accused the opposition of politicising Pride celebrations.
In response to the growing criticism, sources from the town hall have stressed to Spanish state broadcaster RTVE that no flags or banners were placed on the town hall balcony because, as announced last November, they have been replaced by two digital screens which are used to celebrate international days, such as International Pride Day, which projected LGBTQ+ material in the weekend leading up.
“The problem is that you’re not in power now, and you’re bothered by the PP being in government and that we’ve celebrated Pride in our city, that’s the problem,” PP politician Rocio Gil told the Valencian City Hall.
Desde el Ayuntamiento de València, vamos a seguir celebrando el Orgullo y defendiendo los derechos de las personas LGTBIQ+.
Porque la diversidad en esta ciudad no va de partidos políticos ni de ideologías, sino de personas.
Feliz #28J🏳️🌈 pic.twitter.com/PnA48YhYds
— Rocio Gil (@RocioGilUncio) June 28, 2024
“We’ve carried out the same celebrations that you did (Socialists) and even more activities”.
In addition, 200 posters were put up on billboards around the city, seven buses were given special LGBTQ+ designs, and the outside of the town hall itself was illuminated with a projection of the LGTBQ+ flag.
It’s not the first time that a row break outs in Spain over the refusal of right-wing governed town halls to hang LGBTQ+ flags.
In fact, Guadalajara, Toledo, Talavera de la Reina and Ciudad Real have all followed Valencia City Hall’s example this year.
Spain consistently ranks among the most gay-friendly countries in the world according to international studies but there is opposition in some sectors of society to progressive measures such as these.
READ ALSO: Is Spain really a tolerant country when it comes to LGBTIQ+ people?
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