- José María Núñez will receive the Extremadura Medal 2026 for his defense of equality, freedom, and non-discrimination LGTBI.
- The award ceremony will take place on September 7 at the Roman Theatre of Mérida, as part of the events for the Day of Extremadura.
- The recognition distinguishes more than three decades of activism and a career linked to the Triángulo Foundation.
The Extremadura LGTBI Medal will this year have a name: José María Núñez Blanco. The regional president, María Guardiola, will present the highest regional recognition to the activist on September 7, 2026, at the Roman Theatre of Mérida, on the eve of the Day of Extremadura.
The highest regional distinction looks to diversity
The Junta de Extremadura has included José María Núñez, national president of the Triángulo Foundation, among the four individuals and institutions distinguished with the Extremadura Medal 2026. The agreement places the defense of LGTBI rights within the institutional narrative with which the community recognizes contributions of special social significance.
The official resolution defines the Extremadura Medal as the highest autonomous distinction and links it to singular merits, exemplary contributions, and trajectories that help build a fairer and more supportive society. In Núñez’s case, the award was formalized through the Decree 150/2026, of July 28, published the following day in the Official Gazette of Extremadura.
The ceremony will be held on Monday, September 7 at the Roman Theatre of Mérida. The event is part of the programming for the Day of Extremadura and will conclude with a performance by the Extremaduran group Sanguijuelas del Guadiana. The date gives the recognition a public and symbolic dimension: diversity becomes part of the main institutional showcase of the region.
More than three decades of activism from Extremadura
The official information presents Núñez as an economist, professor at the University of Extremadura, and a pioneer of LGTBI activism. Born in Barcarrota, in the province of Badajoz, he has been working for more than three decades for rights related to sexual and gender diversity.
The award decree relates his career to some of the most important advances in diversity and rights in the region. It highlights the creation of support and visibility spaces and the promotion of cultural and social initiatives that today are part of the Extremaduran reality. These are concrete actions that explain why the award is not limited to recognizing a discourse, but rather a sustained effort.
The vice president of the Junta, Abel Bautista, summarized the institutional meaning of the decision by stating that José María Núñez gave voice to those who remained silenced. The programming for the Day of Extremadura presented on August 31 reinforced that idea: the Junta described him as a reference in the fight for equality, freedom, and non-discrimination of LGTBI people.
A personal recognition with collective reading
The medal is awarded to an individual, but its scope transcends individual biography. By recognizing a career associated with Triángulo Foundation, the distinction also highlights the work developed from civil society to ensure that diversity reaches towns, educational centers, institutions, and cultural spaces in Extremadura.
The Junta’s note emphasizes that Núñez has dedicated decades to the fight for rights. This framework allows the ceremony on September 7 to be read as a gesture of memory of activism and, at the same time, as a statement about the place that LGTBI equality occupies in the current institutional landscape of Extremadura.
Alongside Núñez, the footballer Pedro Porro, swimmer Guillermo Gracia, and the National Museum of Roman Art of Mérida will also be distinguished. The composition of this edition brings together sports, culture, heritage, inclusion, and rights. In this context, the presence of the activist elevates the defense of diversity to one of the merits that Extremadura decides to promote to its highest honorary category.
An event in Mérida with editorial value
For the LGTBI movement, the interest of the news lies both in the award and in its setting. The Roman Theatre will host a ceremony of wide visibility on the eve of the regional holiday. The award will allow the trajectory built against silence, discrimination, and the lack of safe spaces to be presented to the entire citizenry.
The award has been legally approved, and the presentation is confirmed in the official programming. Until the event takes place, it is not appropriate to anticipate speeches, attendees, or content that has not been announced. It can be affirmed that on September 7, 2026, Extremadura will recognize, with its highest distinction, a life linked to the freedom of LGTBI people.
