<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The foreign ministers of Spain, Colombia, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Cape Verde, Canada, Chile, Slovenia, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Uruguay signed a joint statement this Saturday, on the occasion of International LGBTQ+ Pride Day 2025, in which they express their rejection of "all forms of violence, criminalization, stigmatization, or discrimination" against this community.</strong></h4> "At this time, when hate speech and crimes are proliferating, and in the face of setbacks in the rights of LGBTQ+ people, we reject all forms of violence, criminalization, stigmatization, or discrimination, which lead to human rights violations," the statement states. “We recognize that respect for diversity, equality, and tolerance require international support for measures aimed at decriminalizing, preventing, and eradicating all types of harassment, including homophobic and transphobic harassment, promoting diversity and anti-discrimination policies, and implementing measures to promote the social and labor inclusion of LGBTQI+ people, especially trans people,” it continues. “We recognize that LGBTQI+ people face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, particularly when they are also part of other historically marginalized groups, communities, and populations, such as Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, people with disabilities, migrants, older people, or people living in poverty. Promoting their full and effective inclusion requires an intersectional approach that structurally addresses these inequalities,” it adds. Therefore, the signatory countries call on "all States to join this path, repealing existing discriminatory laws and refusing to introduce new laws that criminalize same-sex relations or punish people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity." "We call for an end to the criminal prosecution of LGBTQI+ people, especially imprisonment and the death penalty. We also demand an end to so-called conversion therapies, practices aimed at changing a person's sexual orientation and gender identity, which can cause psychological and physical pain and suffering and are inherently discriminatory. Full respect for human rights and human dignity is at stake, as is the strengthening of equality, diversity, and prosperity, leaving no one behind," the text continues. <h5><strong>Ambassador on Special Mission</strong></h5> On another note, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced this Saturday the creation of an Ambassador on Special Mission for the Rights of the LGBTQ+ Community, "a pioneering figure who will centralize and strengthen Spain's international action in defense of sexual and gender diversity." "This initiative is part of the Government's feminist and human rights diplomacy strategy, as set out in Spain's Foreign Action Strategy (2025-2028), and consolidates Spain's leadership after assuming the co-presidency of the Equal Rights Coalition (ERC) with Colombia in 2024," it added in a press release. The Special Mission for LGBTQ+ Rights will coordinate cross-cutting policies with other units of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, promote alliances with civil society and multilateral organizations, and articulate rapid responses to violations of LGBTQ+ rights around the world. In line with what was approved in the Foreign Action Strategy, one of its priorities will be the decriminalization of same-sex relationships in countries where they are still persecuted and to combat the rise of hate speech on social media. In addition, it will work in synergy with the members of the Equal Rights Coalition (ERC) to implement its main lines of action. This announcement reinforces Spain's active role at the head of the Coalition, the main intergovernmental alliance (44 countries) for LGBTQ+ rights. "With this appointment, Spain and its Ministry of Foreign Affairs take a very important step in defending the LGBTQ+ community. We are not only responding to the global urgency, but we are also building networks with civil society. Faced with the temptation to backtrack, LGBTQ+ rights are the decisive frontier of democracy in the 21st century. Spain will not be neutral in the face of any setback in human rights," declared the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares.
