The Congress of Deputies, that institution that should be the epicenter of democracy and respect, recently became the scene of an act that has generated indignation and reflection. During a Vox event, a former Supreme Court justice opted for humor at the expense of vulnerable groups, unleashing a wave of criticism and reopening the debate on the limits of freedom of expression and respect in public discourse.
“My name is Francisca Javiera and I am a woman”: The mockery of identity
Francisco Javier Borrego, former judge of the Superior Court and the European Court of Human Rights, took the floor with a crumpled sheet of paper in his hand. What followed was an open mockery of trans people, alluding to the self-definition of gender identity with the phrase: “Don’t tell me that you are going to discuss it with me because if you discuss it with me today I feel like a woman, my name is Francisca Javiera and I am a woman. Don’t argue with me, I’ll take you to court for a hate crime. To the laughter of those present, he concluded: “They have respected my gender identity that I temporarily expressed in two seconds.”
This intervention, far from being an isolated comment, is framed in a context where the rights of trans people and the entire LGTBIQ+ community are constantly questioned and attacked. Is it really acceptable that in a public forum, a person’s identity becomes an object of ridicule? What message do we send as a society when we allow speech like this to become normalized?
The male “ordeal” and the misrepresentation of data
Vox’s act was not limited to mockery against trans people. The far-right party attacked the Comprehensive Law against Gender Violence, arguing that it implies an “ordeal” for “so many men” due to the large number of false complaints. However, these claims lack support in the data.
It is essential to remember that the reports of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) flatly deny this narrative. In 2023, of the more than 199,000 cases that went through the courts, only 0.0010% corresponded to false complaints. These data reveal the disconnection of certain discourses with reality and the alarming tendency to misinform the population to maintain ideological positions. Why do we persist in denying the existence of systemic violence against women and choose to blame the victims?
Beyond mockery: Attacks on other groups
The intervention of former magistrate Borrego also included other attacks and mockery:
- Open Arms: He criticized the NGO Open Arms, referring to its work as that of a “slave ship.”
- Homosexual marriage: He criticized the wording of the law that allowed equal marriage, calling into question the order in which marriages between people of the same sex and between different people are mentioned.
- Mocking Zapatero: He stood up to mock former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero for having received the Grand Cross of the Order of San Raimundo de Peñafort.
The Vox deputy, Rocío Aguirre, at the end of Borrego’s intervention, thanked him for his words, stating: «Thank you very much, Javier. The truth is that there are times when you have to laugh a little with these serious and complicated topics. A little humor is always good.”
This statement raises a crucial question: Where is the limit of humor? Is it ethical to laugh at vulnerability, at the existence of others, at the fight for equality? Humor can be a powerful tool, but it should never be used to trivialize discrimination or the suffering of others. Let us reflect on the impact of these words on the lives of LGTBIQ+ people, on women victims of gender violence, and on all those who are the object of hate speech. Do we believe that this type of “humor” contributes to a more just and respectful society?
