Javier Sierra, the Mayor of Icod de los Vinos, is becoming increasingly exasperated with the homophobic incidents directed towards him. Faced with persistent mistreatment, including graffiti appearing even in the town’s main square and insults on social media, the leader of the Icod City Council, one of the more densely populated areas in the north of Tenerife (with over 22,000 residents), has chosen to use the same social platforms to bring attention to the issue.
The mayor has shared two images displaying messages that read: “Javi Sierra is gay” and “Sierra, we don’t want you,” along with a screenshot of a social media message he received stating: “Use your money to improve the town, derogatory term”. Alongside these visuals, he includes a note that starts with: “I receive messages like these on a daily basis. These messages are also seen in graffiti on the walls of Plaza de Andrés de Lorenzo Cáceres (October 2023) or outside my residence (August 2017)”.
