Alberto Rubio
Australia’s ambassador to Spain, Sophia McIntyre, said during the presentation in Madrid of Sydney World Pride 2023 that “it is unacceptable that 67 countries continue to criminalise same-sex relationships, that eleven punish them with the death penalty and that, of these, at least six continue to apply it”. “Australia strongly opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and for all people,” he added.
The event, held almost parallel to the start of the festival in the Australian city, was attended on behalf of the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Director General for Sexual Diversity and LGTBI Rights, Boti García Rodrigo, and on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Director General for North America, Eastern Europe, Asia and the Pacific, Javier Salido.
McIntyre said that “we work closely with other countries like Spain, which have a similar mentality to ours, to promote the rights of LGTBI people and to protect the human rights system around the world”.
The ambassador expressed her satisfaction because “Madrid and Sydney share the status of Pride host cities” and because this is the first time that the southern hemisphere has hosted this celebration, in which the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, “will be the first in office to take part in the parade, along with our Minister of Foreign Affairs”.
The Director General for Sexual Diversity and LGTBI Rights, Boti García Rodrigo, was pleased that “today we are also celebrating in a universal, very cosmopolitan way, that yesterday (Thursday) the Trans Law was passed”, which she described as “absolutely essential“. After summarising the history of the LGTBI collective’s struggle for their rights, García Rodrigo added that “it is a joy that we are united here and there by the same determination for a pride that is nothing more than celebrating, but without losing sight of the political dimension of the need for diversity”.
