The ceremony to hang the LGBTI flag from Barcelona City Hall took place today, 28 June, International LGBTI Pride Day, with the Catalan government hanging out the flag on the balcony of the Palau de la Generalitat at the same time.

The intersectional pride flag highlights the diversity within the LGBTI collective, showing the colours that represent intersexuality, transsexuality, racialisation and poverty, among other types of inequality, and how these intersections contribute to unique experiences of oppression and privilege. The same flag is also flying today on the façade of all the district offices in Barcelona and at other city facilities.

Pioneering by-law against discrimination

A public consultation process is being opening from 1 July to promote a new city by-law that will specifically regulate the fight for equal treatment and non-discrimination. The new by-law will make Barcelona a leading city in human rights and fighting discrimination.

Information panel in La Rambla and Pride activities

An information panel will be installed at the end of the Rambla de Santa Mònica (Drassanes area) on Saturday, 29 June, at 12.30 pm, commemorating the historic LGBTI demonstration of 26 June 1977, the first mobilisation for sexual, affective and gender dissidence in the Spanish state. The ceremony to unveil the panel is open to everybody.

A few days before this now iconic demonstration, on 20 June, the first democratic elections had been held and the LGBTI collective wanted to call for the overturning of the Law on Social Danger and Rehabilitation, which criminalised homosexual “conduct” with prison sentences.

The coming weeks also see the continuation of the “Orgull de barri” and “Orgull de museus” programmes, giving visibility to the initiatives organised by various collectives and associations involved in defending LGBTI rights in each of the city’s neighbourhoods, as over the current days, and always, Barcelona wears Pride on its sleeve.