The Cabildo of Lanzarote hosted this Friday a commemorative event on the occasion of International Transgender Day of Remembrance, which is celebrated on November 20, during which several manifestos were read by the associations Chrysallis Canarias, LanzaEntiende and Lánzate. In addition, to make this day visible, the island corporation will illuminate its facade with the colors of the trans flag on Sunday night.
The Councilor for Equality, Myriam Barros, attended the event this Friday, which took place in the institution's Plenary Hall. "Today and in the coming days we remember and commemorate each and every one of the people who have been victims of hate crimes caused by discrimination and transphobia," she said.
"Unfortunately, and despite the efforts of the entire collective, this progressive government and all the good people of this land and this country, attacks of discrimination and hatred against the entire collective and especially against trans people have increased considerably as a result of the advance of the extreme right and an increasingly tense society," Barros said in her speech, in which she wanted to remember "each and every one of the people who have been victims of transphobia."
In this sense, the Councilor for Equality of the Cabildo of Lanzarote has stated the need for "safe spaces, where the rights of all people are guaranteed, but especially of the trans community." "And it is that, although Spain was at the forefront in the recognition of the rights of the LGTBI collective back in 2005 thanks to the modification of the Civil Code that allows marriage between people of the same gender and today we are again an international reference thanks to the Trans Law, we must not and cannot forget that in the Canary Islands and in Spain men and women have also been tortured, raped and murdered simply for being who they wanted and felt they were," added Myriam Barros.
The councilor also had words of recognition for transgender fighters such as Lili Elbe, Carla Antonelli, Bibiana Fernández or Lola Rodríguez, as well as paid tribute, on this day, to the transvestite Lena Evans, "a conejera unknown to many but who has left her mark" and who has also been present at the commemorative event held at the Cabildo.
The heartbreaking story of Dulce
Evans has related the heartbreaking story of her aunt Dulce, one of the first recognized transgender women on the island, who died two years ago, who had to "flee to Gran Canaria" and who was imprisoned during the Franco regime under the Law of Vagrants and Thugs.
"She was imprisoned, beaten, taken to concentration camps, as well as raped in prison and urinated on, but she never gave up and always moved forward, becoming a chorus girl for Paco España," she narrated, showing her gratitude to all those people "who ran so that we could walk."
After her story, representatives of the associations Chrysallis Canarias, LanzaEntiende and Lánzate proceeded to read their respective manifestos in defense of the rights of trans people, in which they remembered "all those people who have died, have been persecuted or discriminated against for being who they are."
Documentary and colloquium in San Bartolomé
In addition, the Equality Area of the Cabildo of Lanzarote has also scheduled a screening of the documentary "Pink Triangles", which will take place on Thursday the 24th, at the Teatro de San Bartolomé, at 8:00 p.m.
After the screening there will also be a colloquium in which Carla Antonelli (trans activist), Yelko Fernández (president of Libertrans), Conchi G. Zerolo (sister of the activist Pedro Zerolo) and Borja Lynch (director and producer of the documentary "Pink Triangles") will participate.
