The State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Trans and Bisexuals, which brings together more than fifty entities from all over the country, is in full renewal. The celebration this weekend of its 10th Congress has culminated with the election of a new Executive Commission headed by Paula Iglesias, who has become the youngest president of the organization. Until now vice president of Uge Sangil, who leaves office after almost eight years and her main challenge – the approval of the Trans Law – has been achieved, Iglesias faces the mandate with her sights set on the State Pact against hate speech and on “ work on pending issues” such as the recognition of non-binary people.
The new president, a doctor and psychologist by profession, began her activism 15 years ago in the Lambda collective in Valencia and was the only candidate for the position. “Our goal is not to leave anyone behind in this fight,” says Iglesias, who will have “an intersectional team” for the different vocal groups, among which there will be one for feminisms.
As the new president of the FELGTBI+, what is the most immediate challenge you face?
The promotion of the State Pact against Hate speeches. We are awaiting the creation of the subcommittee in Congress and in this sense there is already work done by the outgoing executive. We are facing an alarming increase in hate messages towards vulnerable groups in general and the LGTBI community in particular, which have consequences: physical attacks are the most visible but we also see high rates of anxiety, depression and other mental health problems that They are spreading to schools.
She is the youngest president of the federation (34 years old) at a time when youth is probably the most diverse in history and at the same time coexists with this type of speech that questions LGTBI rights. How does this extreme polarity impact you?
Youth is more visible because they have more references and more resources than previous generations had. Additionally, identities and realities that were not visible before are made visible, but the tools for accessing information are also tools for spreading hatred and amplifying discourse. This places us in a complex duality that must be addressed with emotional sexual education in the classrooms, which is not yet fully implemented. There is more talk about diversity, but it is conditioned to the will of the teachers and at the same time there are surveys that tell us that one in four people of generation Z is suffering harassment due to LGTBIphobia.
Feminism is the work for equality and the recognition of the rights of all and there is no room to exclude anyone, least of all any woman.
The equal marriage law in 2005, the Trans Law in 2022, regional laws that recognize collective rights… There will be those who, now, think that there is not much left to do…
But it remains, yes. The law is not an end point, it is the beginning, or at least the continuation of the path that began in 2005. It is not enough to approve it, it must be complied with and there are also important issues that were not included, such as recognition by the State of non-binary people or the guarantee of rights to the group intersexwhich is something we have to work on. Health care for the LGTBI community, particularly women, still needs to improve.
There is a sector of feminism that was very critical in the approval process of the Trans Law and for which feminist and LGTBI demands must follow separate routes. Has that relationship been hurt?
I think not. The FELGTBI+ is a feminist entity, as stated in its statutes and that is how it is. Feminism and the LGTBI community have always gone hand in hand and will always go hand in hand despite what a sector says, which is true that it is noisy, but from our point of view it is not the majority. Feminism is the work for equality and the recognition of the rights of all and there is no room to exclude anyone, least of all any woman. We have to continue working to strengthen these ties, establish alliances and combat discourses that seek to leave out part of the collective from a movement that should be inclusive. In this sense, in the new executive we will have a vocalist of feminisms.
Do you think that the tension that carry out the law Has it been able to foster a scenario of demobilization around LGTBI struggles?
Perhaps it gives the impression that, with the approval of the laws, there comes a kind of calm after the storm, but I think that is a perception. From the organizations, far from demobilizing, we are in it and a clear example was the elections and the mobilization against the wave of the extreme right. I think that as a group we know that with the approval of a law not everything is achieved, that now it is time to defend rights because they can be pushed back.
Pride is a day to claim and show that we suffer from LGTBIphobia, but that we can also lead a happy and joyful life.
The street mobilization par excellence for the group is Pride, of which at least in Madrid two dates have already been established: the critical one and the state one, organized among others by the FELGTBI+ and in which, in addition to a demonstration, there is a parade of floats from companies of all kinds, from banks to real estate portals. Is incorporating, for example, the class perspective in the demand compatible with this type of protest?
The visibility of companies is relative, it is true that they appear, but there are a large number of social organizations that manifest themselves, from groups coming from different places to unions and all types of entities. I believe that work must be done to ensure that the media covers the entire demonstration. And also understand that the companies that go are allies, in the sense that they work to include diversity in their protocols. On the other hand, the protest part is not at odds with the festive part. It is a day to claim but also to celebrate and show with joy who we are, to show that we suffer from LGTBIphobia and hostile situations, but that we can also lead a happy and joyful life.
From time to time, cases of conversion therapies come to light, which continue to exist in our country. Why can’t they be eradicated?
Now what we are fighting for is to be considered Eurocrimes. The problem is the ambiguity when it comes to disseminating this type of therapies that play with the vulnerability of people who live in hostile environments. There is ambiguity in the language they use and the information they convey. They are not explicitly advertised as conversion therapy but as a resource that can help you live better, to not suffer… And if that person does not have support or is a victim of LGTBIphobia, they may end up being immersed.
These days the trial against the murder of Samuel Luiz is taking place in A Coruña, a case that brought the group against homophobia to the streets. What do you expect from the trial?
Samuel’s murder has been very hard for the LGTBI community and also very key. Something like this is the tip of the iceberg and it is sad that the tip has to be seen so that the part of society that is not so linked to this really sees that the speeches have consequences and very serious ones. What we hope is that justice is done.
Samuel’s murder has been very hard for the LGTBI community
The Community of Madrid has recently modified the LGTBI and Trans laws that he reformed at the time and that were appealed to the Constitutional Court. Are the changes enough?
No. It seems like an attempt to modify the language more than the content so as not to highlight what is behind the government of the Community of Madrid, which is LGTBIphobia. What has changed is that instead of saying that it will be “required” to go through a psychologist in the case of minors, it now says that “they will receive support.” And of course it is one thing to provide psychological support to a person appropriate to their needs and another to require a psychological evaluation to determine something that only that person can know.
The former director of the Women’s Institute, Isabel García, was dismissed as a result of public awards to companies that she shared with her partner, but her appointment was controversial from the beginning due to her statements against the Trans Law. What assessment do you make of the work of the Ministry of Equality regarding LGTBI policies?
In principle there is a will to continue with the work and now what we are doing is very vigilant with the State Pact. Indeed, García was fired for what she was fired and what we believe is that the Women’s Institute should represent all of them and whoever directs it cannot make statements that exclude or discriminate against some of them.
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