At this point in the party, it is not surprising that certain political discourses try to downgrade—or directly erase—the existence of the LGTBIQ+ community. But when those words come from a leader like Santiago Abascal, we cannot look away. This time, the statements have not only been unfortunate: they have been dangerous. For this reason, COGAM and AEGAL have decided not to remain silent. And here we are to add voice, not to make noise, but to put something very simple on the table: the truth.
“You already have the same rights”
It’s one of those arguments that, at first glance, sounds fair. But just scratch it a little and it will fall off under its own weight. Yes, there are laws that protect LGTBIQ+ people. But what if the law is not applied? What if it doesn’t reach those who need it most?
In 2024, more than 450 hate crimes due to sexual orientation or gender identity were registered in Spain. These crimes are not committed in a vacuum: they are born from a climate that normalizes contempt and exclusion. A climate where equality is just a promise written on paper. Because having rights is not the same as being able to exercise them without fear.
“Pride bothers”
Annoying, who? To those who can’t stand seeing that diversity exists and is celebrated? Because what really bothers is not Pride, but what it represents: visibility, memory, resistance.
Madrid hosts one of the largest Prides in the world every year. And far from being a “nuisance”, it is an economic, cultural and human engine for the city. Removing it from the center is not a logistical issue: it is symbolic. It’s an attempt to put us back in the closet. And that’s not going to happen.
“Civil unions yes, marriage no”
Returning to this conversation in 2025 is like going back in time. The equal marriage is not a whim: it was, and continues to be, a conquest. To deny ourselves the word “marriage” is to deny our humanity. This means that our families are worth less. That our love has to settle for the shadow of what others enjoy in full light.
Equality does not admit adjectives. Either it is equality, or it is not.
“Many gays will end up voting for Vox”
Here the strategy is clear: divide and conquer. But the LGTBIQ+ collective is not a monolithic block, nor an object of propaganda. Saying that many queer people will end up voting for those who deny their existence is manipulative, to say the least.
You cannot ask for respect while sowing hate. And of course, you can’t represent someone you don’t want to see.
“Minors must be protected”
Totally agree. But protecting does not mean silencing, hiding, denying. LGTBIQ+ childhood exists. And they need role models, safe spaces, a school that does not turn its back on them. Making them invisible does not make them stronger. It makes them more vulnerable.
Educating in diversity saves lives. Silence, no.
What’s behind the speech?
One of the most common strategies of the extreme right is to disguise intolerance as common sense. Words such as “freedom”, “family” or “protection” are raised to justify exclusion. But freedom for whom? Family under what model? Protection from what and from whom?
When messages like these are issued from power, the damage is not just symbolic. Bullying is legitimized. The speech of those who attack is validated. Years of work for real equality are dismantled.
The answer: firm, documented and hopeful
Since COGAM and AEGAL they have not entered the mud. They have responded with data. With facts. With a clear and serene posture. They have recalled that there are still many trans people unemployed. That many older LGTBIQ+ people are still unable to live their truth. That hate crimes have not stopped increasing.
And they have done it without victimhood. With dignity. Remembering that diversity does not divide, but rather enriches. That the future is built from respect, not from fear.
Can a political speech do harm?
Yes. Because words are not innocent. And when they come from the pulpit of power, they become weapons. What message does a lesbian girl receive when she hears on TV that her existence is annoying? How does a trans boy feel knowing that his right to exist is in question by those who make the laws?
The problem is not just Abascal. The problem is the silence that accompanies it. The problem is normalizing verbal violence. The problem is looking the other way when hate is sown with a tie and microphone.
We don’t have all the answers. But we do know this: every time someone questions our rights, we must respond with more strength, more visibility, more love. Not for revenge, but for justice. Because living without fear should not be a privilege, but a right for everyone.
How long will hate speech be allowed in prime time, protected by political acronyms, without legal or social consequences?
It is not enough to be outraged. You have to act. From the media, from the classrooms, from the streets. You have to vote. You have to educate. We must tell our stories. Because if we have learned anything, it is that visibility transforms. And that the only way to defeat hate is to continue living with pride, with truth and with dignity.
