Every 28th of June marks International LGBTIQ+ Pride Day, a day to promote tolerance, equal rights before the law, non-discrimination and the dignity of people from these communities. The Mijas Town Hall does not wish to remain on the sidelines, and has therefore prepared, through its Families and Equal Opportunities department, “a comprehensive programme of activities” which is taking place over these days.  

The programme was presented by the mayoress, Ana Mata (PP), accompanied by the president of the Andalucía Diversidad Federation,  Antonio Ferre, and the president of Orgullo Mijas, Alberto Ortega. “LGBTIQ+ Pride Day has its roots in the struggle of thousands of people who, throughout history, have raised their voices to  demand rights, equality and recognition. Thanks to that collective effort, we have made great progress, but there is still a long way to go. That is why, here at the Town Hall, we reaffirm our commitment to working every day towards a more inclusive, fair and respectful society”, explained Mata. 

For his part, Ortega stated that “now is the time” because “we are strong now, even though all those fears and insults still exist”.

Activities held

As for the activities, the first ones took place last Thursday, 25th of June, in the courtyard of the Manuel España Theatre. The first was the creation of a participatory mural and the second was the setting up of an information stand called ‘Breaking Labels’. According to Ferre, “the aim is very simple: to inform and raise visibility, as the best way to normalise these things and talk about them naturally is for them to be visible”. For her part, the mayoress emphasised that “what we want is for everyone to have the same freedom and for no one to feel excluded. Above all, there must be respect for what each of these people wants to be or feels”.

 

To this end, the multidisciplinary artist Roco Ruiz created this mural, drawing inspiration from “Mijas’s Mediterranean identity”. He also explained that it features “an Andalusian mosaic, the LGBT flag, a swallow symbolising the freedom to be who we are and to fly freely, and the sea itself, which reflects that inner drive we all have”. Mata also pointed out that “the mural aims to reflect freedom and diversity. No one should be questioned for the way they are or the way they feel”.

 

The other activity, ‘Breaking Labels’, invited participants to write messages of support, reflection or advocacy to be subsequently displayed on a panel. The association’s president also explained that “the chosen theme is breaking labels because sometimes the LGBTI community is heavily stereotyped and there is a great deal of misinformation and rumours. Labels are all well and good, but only for clothes sizes, that’s it. We don’t want to be labelled”.

To conclude, the mayoress stated that “we are going to raise our voices to say that Mijas is a free municipality where everyone has the chance to feel and be respected. We will also continue working to ensure this message reaches young people”.

 

Share it with this link: https://mijasint.com/?a=38638