As I've written yesterday, June 30 was the day of the Europride 2007, this year hosted by Madrid Pride. Let's translate here what the main Spanish paper wrote and put some links.
Rights with Pride (Antonio Navia / 20 minutos)
The massive March Europride 2007 converted this saturday the streets in the heart of Madrid in a party to celebrate the achivements in social and legal acknowledgment of homosexual, bisexual and transgender people, but also to show how much has still to be done for equality. The Lesbian Federation, Gays, Transgenders and Bisexuals (FELGT) and the Association of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and TRansgenders of Madrid (COGAM) claim more than one million and half participants in the demonstration.
The demonstration, that toke place between Puerta de Alcalá and Plaza de España, had on head the slogan: Now Europe! Equality is possible, written in Spanish, in English and in other languages. The entire itinerary was crowded as well as the closest streets.
On the head of the demonstration were: the Spanish Minister of Culture, Carmen Calvo; the leader of IU (United Left), Gaspar Llamazares; leaders of UGT and CC OO, Cándido Méndez and José Maria Fidalgo; the secretary of Social Movements of PSOE [the Socialist Party in the government], Pedro Zerolo; and the speaker of IU in Madrid Assembly, Inés Sabanés. Leaders of FELGTB, Antonio Poveda, and COGAM, Miriam Navas, were also in the head of the march.
A lot to be done
March began around 6pm with firecrackers and the anthem of the gay colectivity, the famous song ¿A quién le importa? [Who cares?] performed by Alaska, that was also listened in the middle of the way, in Plaza del Callao, and at the end in Plaza de España. The Minister of Cultures and the secretary of Social Movements of PSOE sang and danced listening to this song, being dressed with glasses and necklaces with flowers and the colours of the rainbow, symbol of gays.
In the statement, read by representatives of lesbians, gays, transgenders and bisexuals at Plaza de España, it was reminded that, since the first Pride, 30 years ago in Barcelona, it was demanded a "social and legal acknowledgment" which then seemed "lamost impossible", but "there is still a lot to be done" against discrimination and homophobia.
Laws such the marriage or the one that allows the change of name and sex without surgery intervention, have assumed the acknowledgment of dignity to "homosexuals, trangenders and bisexuals", the text says. However, there are a lot of social and legal claimings to achieve, like the inclusion in the National Health System of all the process of sex change in all the provinces, as it was done in Andalucía, Extremadura, Aragón, Asturias, Cataluña and Madrid.
"Citizenship to educate clergy"
During the demonstration, among the flags of different countries, placards with slogans were exhibited: No to the resource of PP [the Conservative Party] to the marriage. Citizen Pride! , Thirty years of democracy and two of equality. Are they going to kick us?, Latin America goes ahead, To bane homofobia from the educative centers, Families do care. Those of gays and lesbians too, Freedom, equality, laicism and Citizenship to educate clergy. At the end of the march, more than 40 floats came slowly, with hundreds of people adorned with suits and disguises dancing disco music. After the speeches, having Plaza de España as stage, they carried on the celebration with the performances of Dios y Malizzia, Hanna, Marta Sánchez, Innocence, Locomía, Harem and La Terremoto de Alcorcón.
Links (in Spanish)
20 minutos (with video)
20 minutos (photos)
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