COGAM headquarters receives the Government delegate in a context of celebration, but also alert about the setback in respect for diversity
With the proclamation scheduled for this Wednesday, July 2, Madrid kicks off a new edition of LGTBIQ+ Pride. But before the streets are filled with color, music and demands, the headquarters of COGAM—one of the historical entities of activism in the capital—has received a visit from the Government delegate in the Community of Madrid, Francisco Martín.
In an environment of intense preparations, between banners, volunteer organization and final logistical details, Martín was received by Ronny de la Cruz, president of COGAM, to learn up close how the days leading up to the big demonstration on Saturday are being lived. An event that, in addition to being festive, does not lose its political character.
“We must continue to be very active in education and awareness. Diversity does not defend itself,” Martín said before the media.
Hate crimes, a problem that does not stop
The institutional visit has also served as a loudspeaker for a message that is repeated year after year but remains urgent: hate crimes against the LGTBIQ+ community have not disappeared. In fact, in the delegate’s own words, they must be fought not only from the streets, but also from the institutions.
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Martín insisted that this fight implies the full involvement of the State Security Forces and Bodies, as well as the judicial system, so that no aggression or discriminatory act goes unpunished. He also referred to the recent acts of vandalism that have affected Pride decorations, such as the theft of the rainbow banners on the Imserso façade, describing them as concrete examples of hate crimes.
In addition, he highlighted that the Delegation is working to strengthen both the protection of victims and the training of those who assist them when they report.
Diversity in classrooms: have we gone backwards?
But not all the focus was on the institutional. From COGAM, its president issued a worrying warning: according to the data collected by the organization, a certain setback is being detected in the acceptance of diversity among young people in institutes in the region.
“It is more difficult for us to get to the classrooms, and the welcome is no longer as friendly as before,” De la Cruz confessed.
Although he clarified that it is not a massive phenomenon, he does consider it to be an alarm signal. COGAM has been offering workshops and talks in educational centers for years, and what once seemed fertile ground to sow respect and empathy, is now perceived with a little more suspicion.
The reflection remains open: are we losing ground in the defense of equality precisely where we should build it more strongly?
Political signals that worry
During the visit, the Government delegate also took the opportunity to directly criticize the regional and municipal administrations. Martín considered certain recent decisions worrying, such as the absence of the rainbow flag in public buildings or the refusal to award the city medal to Pedro Zerolo, a reference for LGTBIQ+ activism.
For him, these gestures are not neutral. They are signs of a “clear setback” that put at risk what so many years of struggle have achieved. And that is why, he stressed, it is still necessary to fill the streets, not only to celebrate, but to continue demanding rights.
