Tenerife will proudly celebrate this 28th of June. The date marks a day where the LGTBIQ+ community fights for a system that recognises their rights and freedoms for sexual and gender diversity. The different municipalities of the island came together in the celebration of hoisting multicoloured flags in their squares. This was a welcome to Pride Day, celebrated every 28th of June, with a clear message: visibility for the community, rejection of any type of phobia towards the group, and advocacy for their rights in society.
La Laguna
[–>
La Laguna Orgullosa, that’s the name of the program for this Pride Month in the northern municipality. After a flag-raising ceremony, the Adelantado square in La Laguna has been adorned with the colours of the LGBTIQ+ Pride flag since this morning, the 27th of June. This initiative is part of the extensive programming of the municipality that began on the 11th of June and will continue until the 10th of July.
The mayor, Luis Yeray, took the opportunity during this event to highlight that it was a gesture that “goes beyond the symbolic”. The flag hoisting aims to be “another demonstration of the conviction that it is necessary to work hand in hand with entities and organisations to make this fight for equality and inclusion visible”. He also expressed his rejection of phobia towards this group that “unfortunately still exists in certain sectors of our society”.
The day was rounded off with the reading of the institutional manifesto. The text was prepared by Red Asterisco, an association made up of social and institutional agents advocating for the LGBTIQ+ diversity in the north of Tenerife. The reading was done by Conchi Zerolo (Pedro Zerolo Foundation) and Yelco Fernández (Libertrans). The declaration emphasised the need to set aside any differences and unanimously share the goal of not leaving anyone behind in the fight for their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sexual characteristics. “And not just because it is our constitutional obligation, but because we firmly believe it is just to do so”, highlighted Conchi Zerolo. Yelco Fernández pointed out that “there is still a lot to do to achieve full equality of rights for LGBTIQ+ individuals”.
La Orotava
[–>
The flag hoisting in La Orotava had a bittersweet start with the flag being stolen shortly before the event. The Orotava council regretted this incident which, however, did not prevent its subsequent celebration. The flag fluttered in Constitution square followed by the reading of the manifesto by Red Asterisco.
The reading underscored the need for public institutions to come together to advocate for equal rights for LGTBIQ+ individuals.
With this event, the welcome of Pride Day, celebrated every 28th of June, was made. The municipality commemorates this anniversary with a program of cultural and advocacy events that have been taking place since the 24th of June and will culminate on Thursday 4th of July. The end point of this Pride Month will be technical sessions on sexual diversity and childhood to be held at 9:30 in the town hall’s plenary hall.
There will also be talks, neighbourhood gatherings or the proud painting activity.
Icod de los Vinos
[–>
Icod de los Vinos shows the red card to LGTBphobia in sports and commits to be a “safe space” municipality. The Municipal Stadium El Molino hosted an event on Thursday against violence and discrimination towards the LGTBQ+ community. Groups, organisations, and clubs attended the event, highlighting the need to stop the hate speech still being used in society against sexual and gender diversity.
This marked the start of the Pride program in Icod, which emphasises stopping situations in the sports environment that try to ridicule, intimidate, and single out diverse ways of life and expressions of sexual and gender identity.
The mayor of Icod de los Vinos, Javier Sierra, stressed that “there is no room for tolerance with those who perpetrate violence, we cannot be complicit with LGTBphobia neither inside nor outside stadiums, campsites, or rehearsal rooms”.
The council will hold a party on Friday at 17.00 on San Sebastián street for the educational communities of the municipality as a token of gratitude for educating the students of Icod in freedom.
The evening will come to an end at the kiosk in Plaza Andrés de Lorenzo Cáceres at 22.00 with performances by Lolo Marrero, Dita Dubois and Dj Melo Silva “Penca”.
The following morning, Saturday 29th of June, at 12.00, a panel discussion will be held in Plaza Luis de León Huerta.
A thought-provoking discussion on communication, culture, and pride will be held featuring the Andalusian presenter Toñi Moreno, the Madrid-based writer and philosopher Elizabeth Duval, and the Canary Islands RTVC journalist Tomás Galván. Later at 8:00 pm, the Municipal Theatre will host the first edition of the Drago Arcoíris Awards gala, presented by Toñi Moreno and Tomás Galván. The awards for this edition will be dedicated to Pedro Zerolo posthumously and Yelko Fernández. The event will also feature performances by Blas Cantó and Braulio Nuez.
Adeje
Former Operación Triunfo contestant, Agoney, has been designated as the protagonist for the activities marking Pride Day in the southern municipality. The Adeje singer will be delivering an inspiring speech alongside comedian Omayra Cazorla. The scheduled activities for this Friday will focus on hosting family workshops, recreational and creative spaces for all family members, featuring various crafts and a creative painting workshop aimed at expressing emotions and creativity through art. There will also be a cooking workshop and a live podcast with an open discussion involving activists, artists, and writers. Another activity will include a diversity-themed children’s storytelling session led by Charlie Marrero. Additionally, there will be a comedy performance by Omayra Cazorla with the monologue “I Was Hetero Too.”
Granadilla de Abona
A programme advocating for LGBTQ+ rights will take place across various areas of the municipal area on the 28th of June and the 3rd, 9th, and 11th of July, including an institutional declaration; workshops; musical performances, and a literary encounter.
On the 3rd of July, there will be children’s workshops and storytelling sessions by Charlie Marrero at the El Cocodrilo playroom in Granadilla old town at 11:00 am. On the 9th of July, activities targeting seniors will be held, such as the ‘The Divas and the LGBTQ+ Community’ by Daniel María, at the Virgen del Pino Day Centre at 10:30 am, and the ‘Queer Trivial Pursuit,’ by Exhuberancia Carey, in the lecture hall of the Franciscan Convent at 6:00 pm.
There will also be a literary encounter by Daniel María and Aida González Rossi. The rendezvous will take place on the 11th of July at the Convent Lecture Hall at 6:00 pm, featuring dynamic and intimate dialogues and poetry recitals.
