In Spain, the LGTBI+ igualdad is making progress in the labor field, but social data show a less encouraging picture. According to a recent analysis, 61.8% of collective agreements signed in 2025 already incorporate specific clauses to avoid discrimination against the group, compared to 8.7% at the end of 2024. A significant jump in just a few months, driven by regulations that require companies with more than 50 employees to have LGTBI+ equality plans.
These plans include anti-harassment protocols, awareness-raising actions and inclusion measures for trans people. Failure to comply may result in penalties of up to €225,000. An advance that, without a doubt, opens doors to safer and more respectful work environments.
However, in parallel, attacks against LGTBI+ people have multiplied. In the last year, physical and verbal incidents have increased from 6.8% to 16.25% within the group, which translates into more than 812,000 people affected. Added to this is that more than 1.2 million have suffered discrimination at work, in housing or in access to services. And even more worrying: many victims do not report, out of fear or distrust in institutions.
The paradox is clear: while the law advances, the street recedes. Improvement requires not only standards, but also education, culture and trust in reporting mechanisms. Train teachers, health workers and security forces; give visibility to references; reinforce help lines such as 028; and guaranteeing safe spaces continue to be pending tasks to consolidate a truly egalitarian country.
Because an article in Rainbow can never close without a smile:
“If the agreements already talk about us, let the streets do it too… but with music, glitter and hugs, not with shouting or pushing! At the end of the day, equality should not be a legal clause, but a collective party. And as any queer grandmother would say: less hatred, more croquettes and more rainbows in the squares.”
