Lumagorri and Dispose of Video have worked together on a documentary that gathers the history of the LGTBI movement in Vitoria-Gasteiz over the past 25 years. It will be presented on 28 December at 18:30 a.m. in the Jimmy Jazz room of the capital Biscay.

AMETS Martínez de Heredia has explained to Alea that the title of Direct roads, erroneous paths, gathers the testimonies of eleven people who have worked in different groups since 1994. "We have interviewed all the groups and initiatives that have worked in the city since 1994: ALA, Gaytasuna, EHGAM, 7min20, Lesgaytegia and Sukubo. The story begins with the creation of the register of couples promoted by José Ángel Cadena and ends with the closure of Sukubo".

In any case, the documentary also shows the vicissitudes of the 1970s. Thus, they have gathered the experiences of Kepa Mariaka, the first EHGAM militant who was in the city in those years. Mariaka explained that at that time "the closet was huge" and that in the street "no action was taken". He also explained that doctors recommended electroshock treatment for homosexuals who approached the group and had very little visibility.

Martínez de Heredita, of the Red Pen, explained that in those decades homosexuals were leaving outside Vitoria-Gasteiz because "in the big cities life was easier".In addition, they suffered a strong persecution; as stated in the documentary, in 1979 a police officer murdered the travesti Francis Vadillo in the Apolo discoteca de Errenteria.

The documentary then covers the time when Mayor Rope created the couples' registry. "The LGTBI movement flourished, the lesbian movement ALA and Gaytasuna were created, and they started developing initiatives on the street, first with the support of the administration and then without the support." Gaztelesboz, 7th20, Las Trans… “Thanks to these experiences, Vitoria-Gasteiz became a benchmark in the defense of fundamental rights and sexual freedom.

In addition, according to Martínez de Herededa, the documentary has received the important contribution of the LGTBI movement of Vitoria-Gasteiz: "Because there has been resistance to capitalist and exclusionary discourses coming from other places," he added.

This news was published by Arabako Aleak and we brought it to ARGIA thanks to the CC-by-sa license.