Division in a text condemning homophobic attacks in the Islands in Parliament

PalmThe Parliament's plenary session on Tuesday voted dividedly on a text condemning LGTBiphobia in response to recent episodes of homophobic attacks that have taken place in recent months in the Balearic Islands. The left voted in favor of the text, and the PP supported most of the initiative, but rejected taking a stance against the President of the Chamber, Gabriel Le Senne, for having made a video in front of a high school in Porto Cristo criticizing a mural in which two women were kissing. For its part, Vox voted against.

The PSIB deputy Ares Fernández defended the motion, which takes a stance against episodes of hatred, such as the burning of a rainbow flag in a Muro institute. MÉS per Mallorca proposed adding several points to condemn the homophobic attacks recently suffered by an institute teacher, a vendor at the Pere Garau market, and a resident of Formentera, as well as to condemn and reject what has been considered LGTBIphobic attitudes by Le Senne. The ecosovereignist amendment to condemn the aggressions and homophobic attacks had the favorable vote of the PP and went ahead with only the dissenting vote of Vox. For their part, the popular party voted against the point relating to the President of the Chamber and, therefore, it did not prosper.

Most of the remaining points were approved with the favorable vote of the Popular Party. The PSIB deputy Ares Fernández referred to recent episodes of LGTBIfobia and lamented that they are no longer "aggressions at night, in hidden places or in spaces of vulnerability, but rather facts that happen during the day, in front of everyone, in everyday spaces". The socialist also lamented the "cancellation of the Pride festival in Palma, and accused the Palma City Council of "letting it die". "Silence or complicity are not enough in the face of hate," he assured: "In the face of hate, justice." The MÉS per Mallorca deputy Marta Carrió attacked Vox for, in her opinion, fueling hate speech. "Hate speech prepares the ground for discrimination and violence," she stated. Meanwhile, the Unidas Podemos deputy, José María García, warned of the increase in homophobic aggressions, both physical and verbal.

On behalf of the PP, deputy Pedro Álvarez defended that no form of hatred or humiliation "has a place in the Balearic Islands". The popular politician condemned recent LGTBIphobic episodes and recalled the need to insist on the defense of a society based on respect for human dignity and coexistence.

From Vox, deputy Sergio Rodríguez rejected the left's desire to "collectivize" homosexuals, insisting that "many" do not "feel represented" by the LGTBI acronym. He also took advantage of his speech to lash out at immigrants. "0.001% of hate crimes are committed by Spaniards compared to 0.002.9% committed by immigrants," he said: "Three times more than Spaniards." Furthermore, he said that Vox deputies "are the ones who suffer the most" from hate crimes.