Throughout the month of July, our organisation has taken to the streets and mobilised with you to protest against LGBTIQ + phobia, after a series of attacks of excessive violence. One of them, the fatal beating of Samuel Luiz, has shocked the entire society.
In the face of their hatred, we must build community and mutual support
The message of hate is permeating society. We cannot continue to normalize LGBTIQ + phobia and hate speech as if it were a legitimate opinion when, in reality, it is a clear violation of human rights. In the face of their hatred, we must build community and mutual support. We must continue to build a safe society where we can be who we are without fear.
We cannot let them take away our right to be who we are. It has taken a lot to come out of the closet for them to try to push us back in with terror, violence and murder.
They are killing us. It is a fact.
After a weekend marked by LGTBIQ+phobia with the murder of Samuel, Colors Sitges Link called a local rally on Monday, July 5, together with the feminist group No em Toquis la Tecla, in Plaça de l’Ajuntament de Sitges. There we read a manifesto rejecting the current escalation of LGBTIQ+phobia.
Manifesto of Colors Sitges Link of rejection against the escalation of LGBTBIQ+phobia
From Association LGBITQ+Colors Sitges Link, and No Em Toquis La Tecla, we want to condemn the lgbtiq+phobic attacks that are claiming so many victims in recent days, such as this last Saturday night at the Fiesta Mayor in Terrassa, where fifty barbarians beat a young man allegedly because of his sexual orientation, and that they have reached the peak with the murder of the young Samuel in A Coruña, also allegedly for belonging to our community. From Sitges we want to express our condolences to his friends and family.
We also want to express our rejection of any act of violence and we strongly demand relevant enquiries to be carried out at all costs. On one hand, we ask a full investigation to clarify the murder of this LGBTIQ+ rights activist, and on the other hand, we want measures to be taken to prevent these aggressions across the country, with budget allocations to fit these terrible actions.
It is time to stand up and make the authorities make a move against the LGBTIQ+phobia. They want to take away everything we have achieved, they are attacking us, they are killing us. But we will not take a single step back.
We urge all citizens to show their rejection of this escalation of violence, normalized and authorized by some self-styled “political parties.” Let’s say a big NO to intolerance, NO to fascism whitewashed by the media, NO to marginalisation, NO to taking any step backwards on the road to equal human rights.
We ask everyone for a minute of silence as a manifestation of our condolences, our denunciation and our rejection, that of all civilized society, against any act of violence against people, whoever they may be.
On Wednesday July 7, together with the Garraf organisations Punt R de Ribes and L’Esquerda de Vilanova, we organized a regional rally at Plaça de l’Ajuntament de Vilanova i la Geltrú.
Finally, on July 22, all the entities that are part of the Plataforma LGBTI Catalunya took part in the largest rally held in Barcelona against LGBTIQ+phobia.
We want to thank the hundreds of friends of Colors Sitges Link who took to the streets and mobilised against hatred in general, and our community in particular.
We count on you to continue demonstrating our rejection of violence and hatred.
We are by your side, today and always, in any LGBTIQ+phobic situation.
