The LGTBI+ State Federation alerts in a statement to the Cabildo de Tenerife: «Discourses against trans people drive their discrimination». The note refers to the alleged transphobia of some speakers at the state congress Women and Sport scheduled for the next Friday and Saturday on the Island, with institutional support and financing. Most of the Tenerife groups that make up the Island Diversity Board –seven out of nine, since Transgirl and Aperttura are barely active– continue in their announced position of abandoning it if the Corporation’s support for the event is maintained.
The State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Trans, Bisexuals, Intersex and more (FELGTBI+) appreciates that «discourses that present trans people as a threat have repercussions in discrimination, harassment and even physical violence». They describe the one that the island Administration organizes within the framework of the aforementioned forum as a “trans-exclusionary” debate. The Federation recalls that 2022 was the most violent year in Europe for LGTBI+ people “due to the growing and widespread hate speech.”
The president of the collective, Uge Sangil, asks the Cabildo de Tenerife for “social responsibility and policy against hate speech”, in addition to asking him to rethink the terms of the debate.
“Hate speech is not only the one that incites to attack or kill a person for belonging to a group, but the one that presents that group as a threat to society,” he points out. He gives an example: “A table that warned about threats to whites from black athletes would be unacceptable and seen for what it is: promotion of racism.”
Sangil points out that “The Cabildo promotes a biased debate, with non-expert speakers on transgender people and known for promoting speeches against them”. On the contrary, “it does not include anyone who knows the reality of trans people.” It calls for “the inclusion of trans-exclusionary activists to be reconsidered to avoid hate speech and a forum be created with people who know the trans reality.” LGTBI+ entities Canary Islands Diversas, Chrysallis, Libertrans, Canarypride, Transboys, Caminar Intersex and the Asociación Sociocultural Efecto Puerto announced last Monday that they will leave the Island Diversity Table if the Cabildo maintains its support for the debate in this congress.
A spokesman for these groups warned this Tuesday that «the General Directorate of Diversity of the Government of the Canary Islands It has already been addressed to the president of the Cabildo, Peter Martinto warn you of the consequences of supporting hate speech.”. These sources deny the island councilor Nauzet Gugliotta “when he raises an alleged censorship.” They remind him that “the right to freedom of expression is qualified. When it becomes freedom of aggression it goes against those of others, such as trans people. A sentence by way of conclusion: “We are going to break relations with the Cabildo in diversity policies.”
Gugliotta, with migrants
The CEO of Citizen Participation and Diversity, Nauzet Gugliotta, met with entities that work to assist migrants. Representatives of Fundec, Ser Humano, Solidaridad Venezuela and Actúa participated. They were the beneficiaries of the 325,000 euros that the Cabildo allocated last year to develop anti-racism actions and implement support services for migrants. | JDM
