Madrid partially revokes trans and LGBTQ rights laws

Madrid partially revokes trans and LGBTQ rights laws

Madrid partially revokes trans and LGBTQ rights laws

In an unprecedented move, Madrid’s political landscape has shifted, instigating a rollback on established rights for transgender and LGBTQ individuals. The city’s ruling party, the conservative People’s Party (PP), has passed a contentious proposal, effectively dismantling key protections for the transgender community.

Negation of Anti-Discrimination Rules

This dramatic policy shift negates prior rules that penalized discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Furthermore, it controversially decriminalizes non-injurious assaults motivated by these same factors.

Amendment of 2016 Rights Laws

The legislation amends two pivotal laws – a regional trans rights law and an LGBTQ rights law – both enacted in 2016, marking Madrid as the first Spanish region to retract such progressive measures. This rollback has ignited a fierce backlash from opposition parties and LGBTQ advocacy groups.

Carla Antonelli’s Symbolic Protest

In a potent display of protest, Carla Antonelli, a trans member of the left-leaning Mas Madrid party, adorned red gloves in the assembly, symbolizing bloodstained hands, during the fiery debate that preceded the bill’s passing.

Antonelli’s Denunciation of the Bill

Antonelli vehemently denounced the bill as a grotesque injustice, evoking the dark legacy of Nazi SS doctor Josef Mengele. She accused the proponents of the bill of metaphorical bloodshed, declaring their actions akin to terrorism against the trans community and vowing relentless remembrance of their deeds.

PP’s Justification of the Reform

In response, PP’s Monica Levin justified the reform as a stand against societal manipulation, framing it as an attempt to safeguard personal privacy and halt divisive social engineering.

Language Alteration and Symbolic Protests

The reform also alters language, replacing terms “trans people” and “gender identity” with “transsexuals” and “transsexuality,” a move activists criticize as derogatory. In a symbolic gesture, party lawmakers and activists displayed Trans Pride flags and red gloves, voicing their dissent before being removed from the gallery.

New Stipulations for Trans Minors

Additionally, the reform stipulates that trans minors in the region can only commence hormone replacement therapies after assessments by medical professionals.

Contrast with Spain’s National Legislation

This development contrasts starkly with Spain’s national legislation passed in December 2022, which permits transgender individuals aged 14 and above to legally change their gender without mandatory medical evaluations, albeit with parental consent required for those between 14 to 16 years.

Madrid’s Deviation from Spain’s Norm

Madrid’s decision creates a stark deviation from the norm in Spain, where 14 of the 17 regions have legislations safeguarding trans and LGBTQ rights.