The islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria hosted massive demonstrations this Saturday to commemorate LGTBI+ Pride. The central events, held in the municipality of La Orotava and in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, served to highlight that, beyond celebration, it is an act of memory, resistance, and a claim for acquired rights.
In Tenerife, the island march brought together approximately two thousand people in La Orotava under the slogan “even if they want us on the margins, Pride sets the course”. The route began at the Parque Cultural Doña Chana and concluded at the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. The call was supported by various Tenerife collectives, including Aperttura, Diversas, Transboys, Transwomen, and the Fundación Pedro Zerolo.
Even if they want us on the margins, Pride sets the course.
At the end of the event in La Orotava, a manifesto was read, and a minute of silence was observed for the victims of the earthquakes in Venezuela. The organizations present warned about the advance of the far-right and criticized the entry of Vox into the municipal governments of Arona and Granadilla de Abona.
At an institutional level, a State Pact was demanded to curb hate speech, and the creation of housing resources for homeless individuals within the community was requested. The associations also defended the importance of decentralizing demonstrations, taking them outside the island's metropolitan area.
Meanwhile, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the demonstration marched along Avenida José Mesa y López, culminating in Parque de Santa Catalina. The march, led by the banner “The sea unites us, Pride moves us”, concluded a month of cultural and participatory activities under the program 'Where the air is free'.
The sea unites us, Pride moves us.
This prior programming was promoted by Colectivo Gamá and Chrysallis Canarias, with the support of the City Council, and included film cycles and conferences on diversity, migration, and hate speech. The Gran Canaria organization emphasized that Pride is an opportunity to value hard-won laws and the construction of diverse societies.
Representatives from Gamá called on public entities and administrations to continue working towards a society where rights are not limited by sexual orientation or gender identity, recalling that every achievement made is sustained by shared commitment.
