The Catalan actor inaugurates Pride with a vibrant proclamation full of cultural references that claim the freedom to be, feel and exist without asking permission.
This Thursday, in a Plaza Universitat tinged with color and emotion, Àngel Llàcer spoke the words that marked the beginning of Pride Barcelona 2025. And he has done so bluntly: “We have not come to ask for permission. We have come to defend the possibility of choosing to be free”.
The phrase has resonated strongly, both on stage and among the audience. Llàcer, a key figure in the Catalan cultural scene and a reference for the LGTBIQ+ collective, has been in charge of giving the opening speech for this edition of Pride, whose motto is clear and powerful: “LGTBIQ+ culture: universal culture”.
Culture as refuge and trench
Àngel Llàcer has not hidden what he feels. Quite the opposite. With his usual mix of charisma and forcefulness, he has sincerely shared his own experience:
“It is on a stage where I have felt more myself, more authentic than anywhere else.”
The Barcelona actor, producer and director has recalled key moments of his career, such as his role in La cage de las locas and the performance of the song “Yo soy que soy”, which, according to him, was not one more number: it was a declaration of principles. “The only thing I did was show myself as I am,” he stated firmly. And he added: “Although it is scary, although it is uncomfortable, my truth, being homosexual, makes me feel proud”.
Who is afraid of authenticity?
The proclamation did not remain in the celebration. Llàcer has criticized the prejudices that still survive in society. He has spoken of the duality between what is allowed on stage and what is repressed in everyday life:
“From the comfort of their seats, spectators want us artists to be authentic and without artifice, but they do not accept authenticity on the street, in a restaurant, on the subway…”.
A phrase has ignited the public: “Afraid of what?” Llàcer has repeated it up to four times, raising the tone each time, while the crowd responded with applause and cheers. It was a moment of collective communion, but also a call to action.
View this post on Instagram
Referents that illuminate
The town crier has paid tribute to those who blazed a trail before him. He has mentioned names such as Federico García Lorca, Mercè Rodoreda, Pedro Almodóvar, Terenci Moix, Alejandro Amenábar or Marina Rossell.
“What would we be without them?” he asked the public. And it has been answered: “We would be grayer and more ignorant”.
When the spotlights are not enough
But not everything was celebration. Llàcer has also shared his concern about the role of the media and social networks in the construction (and destruction) of public identities. “I am afraid that my truth will be distorted,” he confessed. And he has warned that this fear is not his alone: it is collective.
“A boring and false society is being created, where no one dares to be authentic or set an example of diversity,” he lamented.
A statement that invites reflection: what price do we pay to fit in? To what extent do we shape our lives to avoid discomfort?
A shared cry: living without asking permission
The event closed with a phrase as simple as it was powerful:
“There are many realities, but with the same will: that of living without having to ask for permission or forgiveness for being who we are”.
With that message, Llàcer has welcomed three days of demand, art, community and, above all, pride. A pride that, as has become clear, goes far beyond the festive. It is memory, it is resistance, it is the future.
Beyond the proclamation: music, art and collective pride
Llàcer’s speech was only the starting point of a day full of activities that celebrate diversity in all its forms. The Pride Barcelona 2025 has prepared a vibrant and diverse program that mixes humor, live music, drag art and advocacy.
From 6:45 p.m., the now classic Heel Race has tested the balance and attitude of the bravest. Afterwards, artists such as Hugo Marlo, the rapper Anier and Sofia Coll, have taken the stage to set the mood.
Proposals have also shined such as the concert of Fades, a powerful drag show starring La Patrick, Sylphide Drag and Divine, and a closing party by DJ Set with DJ Coco , who made everyone dance in a completely dedicated Plaza Universitat.
