It's 45 years since a friend and I started creating what used to be the LGTBI+ Basque partnership. Therefore, it was to be expected that I wrote mainly articles related to sexual liberation on these pages. That has not been the case.
I'm gay, so to speak. Also multiple. The characteristics of my personality and the issues that concern me are very diverse. That is why I have expressed my opinion very carefully. But this time I've felt the need to say something about what's going on. Nothing in depth, among other things, because it did not have enough space in this role; only a simple reflection on the aggressions we suffer in the Basque Country and in its LGBTI+ environment.
"It seemed that we were pretty good, that we were on the right track, so that one day we could totally overcome homophobia. Or almost."
I met the end of Franco. Homophobia prevailed, although the word was not yet correct. There were also attacks, mainly of a type of gaze or insult, only of a physical type. Society has been changing in part thanks to our work: hundreds of conferences, courses, interviews, meetings, hearings... In our environment, people have become accustomed to living different forms of affection. Or at least to see. The laws, in general, have been adapting ... Every now and then, a friend stops me to thank him for what we've done on the street. It seemed that we were pretty good, that we were on the right track, so that one day we could overcome homophobia altogether. Or almost.
So what's going on? A few years ago, seeing the slight increase in aggression, we said that one of the causes could be people who came from countries that were even more macho and homophobic than ours, and that we had a challenge there. Carefully, to prevent them from being misunderstood, because we like color and know that cultural diversity is enriching.
We also said that these aggressions could be a violent reaction to the rabies of homophobo-machists that were increasingly seen in a smaller minority.
In any case, the quantity and severity have increased considerably in recent times, to become very worrying. What to do?
I do not have magic recipes, but I do have a couple of clear things: that we must make a thorough and serious diagnosis of the situation as soon as possible (in this the existing observatories can be of great help, as in the case of Vitoria) and that we must not let ourselves be dragged. On the contrary, in the face of messages and hate attacks, we must increase visibility and remember that its strength is always our fear.