LGBTIQA+ groups have chosen to suspend their dealings with the Tenerife Cabildo as a clear demonstration of their collective disapproval of the “lack of political action” by the new island government. According to their grievances, this government has not implemented any diversity policies during its first year in office.
The organizations taking this stand are Aperttura, Caminar Intersex, Canarypride, Chrysallis Canarias, Diversas, Fundación Pedro Zerolo, Libertrans, Transboys, and Transwomen. They conveyed this decision during a meeting held on Tuesday afternoon with the Insular Director of Equality and Diversity, Patricia León, whom they claim they have been urging for months to address specific demands. They also noted the “disturbing silence from the Cabildo President, Rosa Dávila,” who, despite having authority in matters of diversity, has ignored three meeting requests within the year.
Emphasizing the rupture that occurred in the previous term due to the island’s support for a congress featuring trans-exclusionary rhetoric in women’s sports, the LGBTIQA+ entities proposed a motion in November 2023 for the real and effective inclusion of trans individuals in sports, as well as the condemnation of transphobia in this field. This was presented as a reparative measure but Patricia León, who had initially promised to comply, is now claiming it is unfeasible.
In order to reestablish relations with the Tenerife Cabildo, the organizations are demanding that the motion they submitted to the island director for the real and effective inclusion of trans individuals in sports be deliberated and approved by the Corporation prior to the International Day of LGBTIQA+ Pride on 28th June. They also insist that President Rosa Dávila schedules the meeting that the most prominent associations in this field have been requesting for a year.
Condemning the “blatant political inaction of the island government comprising the Canarian Coalition and the Popular Party,” the organizations stress that an entire year has passed without any advancements in diversity policies. They highlight the loss of crucial time in implementing the Island Strategic Framework for addressing LGBTIQA+ diversity, which was developed by the entities themselves at the end of the previous term, but has received no attention to date.
Activists maintain that beyond mere symbolic gestures in support of the LGBTIQA+ community, they require “a clear commitment from the new island government to their rights, rectifying the harm caused in the past term and ushering in a new era of collaboration.”
The activists highlight that they are willing to engage with the Tenerife institution and respond to their social demands, provided that it demonstrates a genuine dedication to their rights. This is seen as a crucial step towards fostering diversity policies that align with the values of Tenerife.
