- On April 21, 2005, the Lower House approved the bill that allowed same-sex marriage.
- It was the beginning of a legislative process that placed Spain at the global forefront of civil rights.
- We remember the historic session where dignity prevailed over prejudice by an absolute majority of 183 votes.
There are dates that remain etched in the calendar of democracy and today we celebrate one of the brightest. On this day like today, Exactly 21 years ago, the Congress of Deputies began the definitive process that would end up recognizing equal marriage in our country. That April 21, 2005 was not just any Thursday; It was the day when Spanish institutions began to settle a historic debt with thousands of citizens who, until then, were treated as second-class people.
A debate that broke walls
The session in Congress was one that makes an epoch. Faced with a society that was already far ahead of its laws, the deputies faced an intense debate, full of emotion and, also, a strong conservative opposition. However, the will to progress prevailed: with 183 votes in favor, the bill left the San Jerónimo Race towards the Senate, beginning a path that would culminate just two months later, on June 30, 2005, with final approval.
Spain thus became the third country in the world to legalize marriage between people of the same sex., only behind the Netherlands and Belgium. But the Spanish milestone was different: we were the first to include, from the first moment, the full right to joint adoption, establishing a precedent of real equality that is still an international reference today.
“We are not taking away anyone’s rights”
It is impossible to remember this anniversary without evoking the words of then-president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who defended that this law did not take away anyone’s right, but rather expanded it for those who did not have it. That April 21, a “more decent” Spain began to be built, because, as was said on the platform, a society that does not discriminate against its citizens based on their sexual orientation is a much freer and more dignified society.
Today, 21 years after that first legislative step, we look back with pride but also with vigilance. In a context where some sectors are once again questioning advances that we thought were solid, remembering this anniversary of equal marriage in Spain is more necessary than ever. Because that “yes” in Congress not only allowed thousands of couples to say “I do,” but also taught us that laws can, and should, be the engine of people’s happiness.
