Pride BCN 2014 - PRIDE! BCN

LGBT RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS

Once again, the Catalan LGBT community takes to the streets to demand that LGBT rights be respected as human rights, both in our own country —a pioneer in liberties and open to the world— and beyond our borders.

This year is dedicated to LGBT refugees, which is a sign that Pride is always open to dialogue with other countries, receptive to their populations, and in solidarity with LGBT refugees who fight for the defense of their rights and the recognition of their identities —all within a context of ongoing homophobic persecution, violations of freedoms, and cases of physical and psychological violence.

On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, affirming that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

Today, in 76 countries, same-sex relationships are still criminalized, and in seven they are punishable by death. Since 1990, nearly 40 countries have legalized or decriminalized relationships between gays, lesbians, trans, and bisexual people, and have banned discrimination against LGBT individuals.

We watch with indignation as LGBTphobia grows across all continents, including Europe. Gays, lesbians, trans, and bisexual people are being persecuted and criminalized while most countries remain silent and indifferent. We see extreme situations in Russia, Uganda, Nigeria, and Latin America, where extrajudicial executions, homophobic laws, and horrifying hate crimes still exist. We cannot remain silent.

The recent anti-discrimination law for LGBT people in Galicia, as well as the Anti-Homophobia Bill currently under debate in the Catalan Parliament —a pioneering bill in the Spanish state, whose swift approval we expect— are signs that our struggles are not in vain.

Nevertheless, homophobic and transphobic crimes and assaults continue to rise. LGBTphobic bullying in schools, grassroots sports, and leisure activities targeting children and teenagers is still a sad and pressing reality.

We are here today fighting for new and essential demands in defense of democracy and equal rights. We will not be silenced by those who wish to erase our voice or ignore the many injustices still present in our society. We will continue to fight —and with greater strength than ever.

We also regret that due to harsh budget cuts, important services for the LGBT community have been shut down, such as the 900 Rosa helpline or the Federation of LGBT Associations of Catalonia (the ‘Coordi’) —a historic federation, pioneer in the fight for LGBT freedoms and against HIV/AIDS.

We know that we must protect the basic human rights of LGBT people worldwide. And to achieve this, it’s not enough to simply change laws in many countries —we must also change people’s mentalities. In this regard, education and social mobilization are essential tools.

Together, we can build a fairer world, free of homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, racism, and sexism —a world in which all social groups can truly be free and equal in terms of citizenship.

Therefore, we call on:

International governments to commit to the decriminalization of all practices related to sexual orientation and gender identity, and to implement the initiatives already formalized by the EU and the UN.
It is unacceptable that homosexuality is still punishable by death in seven countries.
The defense of LGBT rights as human rights must be a top priority on the European Union’s agenda, and we must help ensure that this becomes reality.

That is why the motto of Pride Barcelona 2014 is:

LGBT RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS

We invite you to join our struggle.

Catalonia’s LGBT associations are among the strongest in the world: LGBT families, athletes, entrepreneurs, HIV-positive individuals, seniors, youth, people with disabilities, immigrants…

We demand:

The approval of the bill currently being processed in the Catalan Parliament, to guarantee the full enforcement of LGBT rights and the eradication of homophobia. A bill driven by grassroots organizations —a demand from our community that we want to see fulfilled.
Justice for businessman Juan Andrés Benítez, who died during a violent police arrest last year.
Respect for privacy laws, including the confidentiality of an individual’s HIV status —which must never be made public.
We also denounce online hate and violence, such as the “Pillapilla Project”, in which social media was used in a perverse way to stalk, torture, and abuse gay men. Thanks to our report, the police dismantled the group responsible.