The Observatori Contra l'Homophobia went from 84 complaints in 2015 to 284 in 2023
El Observatori Contra l'Homophobia was born in 2008 and since then he has served more than 1.600 victims. Over the years it has become a striker against discrimination against the collective LGTBIQ+ in Catalunya, making visible and recording hundreds of discriminatory acts suffered by those affected by their sexual orientation or gender identity. Today it changes its name and corporate image: it will be renamed Observatori Contra l'LGTBI-fòbia, with the aim of being more inclusive.
"The first years were a real journey in the desert, we did everything through activism and without a penny.”, remember Eugeni Rodríguez, president of the entity. The balance he makes is actually very positive: “Fifteen years seem few, but in the world LGTBI There have been many, because we come from a time when we did not have any legal tools at our disposal, for example. Things have changed a lot since then".
To remember the trajectory of Observatory, this afternoon a day of debate will be held in the LGTBI Center of Barcelona in which a book about its history will be presented. “The book 15 years of travel against LGTBI-phobia narrates the process of the 15 years of AND. A collective portrait of some of the many people who in various ways have participated in the fight against discrimination or aggression based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression and for pride and liberation LGTBI. It is a choral project, a small sample of everything that could be explained about these 15 years of history with one main objective: to repair the dignity of all those people who at some point have seen their lives violated.", Explain Cristian Carrer, Technical Coordinator of the Observatory.
Record of attacks in 2023
Remember that the AND It is a project of Gay Liberation Front of Catalonia (FAGC). One of his great achievements was to promote the Catalan law against LGBTophobia which was achieved in 2014 and marked the culmination of the first stage of the entity. “Unfortunately, it may be that in 2023 more incidents will be recorded since Law 11/2014 came into force. There have been 15 years in which the Observatori has been present in the most important struggles and achievements of Catalunya and the State"declare Rodríguez.
It calls for highlighting the importance of legal instruments such as the Trans Law or the state LGTBI Law, which need to be strengthened and not suffer any reduction. And also, at the Catalan level “that the modification of law 11/2014 in order to provide effective reparation to the victims. A 15th anniversary in which we are very concerned about rise of extreme and all the hatred that permeates young people who end up attacking LGTBI people and women. It is necessary to turn this consciousness around and that is why we need brave public policies that invest at all levels. Both human and economic resources. You can't stop the LGTBIphobia and fascism, if it is not a total and absolute priority to fight so that LGTBI people can live, feel and be as we want”, ditch Rodríguez.