NEWS
www.euroweeklynews.com
16 - 22 June 2016 / Costa del Sol
EWN
3
FEATURED NEWS
Pride events are all-inclusive and merit the support of councils Flamenco dancer Alexia Rivero wowed the crowd at the Pink Weekend event
By Barry Duke STILL bathing in the afterglow of Benidorm’s Pink Weekend, last Friday I hooked up with Sammy Kruz, a member of the team that organises Pride and other related events in Benidorm. I needed some information from him to complete an article I was writing about the event for The Pink Humanist. All involved in the Pink Weekend were elated over its success, and I was in an upbeat mood as I discussed the main points I intended highlighting in the article. The most important, I thought, was the fact that it turned out to be an amazingly inclusive event. The crowds that gathered on the picturesque Mirador in Benidorm’s Old Town were made up of all nationalities, old and young, gay and straight, and they danced and sang and enthusiastically applauded the acts performing on a large stage. Sammy told me that he wanted to emphasise that the sole aim of the organisers, and Benidorm Council which supported them, was to bring the community together and create a special event that could be enjoyed by all “in our beautiful town,” and that both the Spanish and international press had praised them for achieving a wonderfully inclusive atmosphere. Then he totally wrecked my evening. “There’s something you should be aware of,” he said, and showed me a copy of an article written by John Smith in Euro Weekly News, headed “Does Spain need to consider whether it is now too liberal?” The very first line of that article had me gritting my teeth: “There is little doubt that during the Franco regime, some things could be considered better than they are today, in as much as the country was kept under a tight rein and there were less problems with hooliganism imported or home grown …”
Sammy Kruz
Nowadays Pride is for everyone, irrespective of age or sexual orientation. Was this a wind-up, or the genuine views of someone who honestly believes that there were positive aspects to an epoch presided over by a murderous fascist tyrant whose cruel, ironfis te d co n tro l o v er the Spanish people had the full s u p p o rt o f th e R o ma n Catholic Church? L e t me remin d rea de rs what life was like for homosexuals under Franco’s rule. From 1954, his regime imprisoned, tortured and often k illed g ay s fo r v io la ting th e L e y d e Va g o s y Maleantes, or Vagrancy Act. The Act was established in 1933 to deal with people considered anti-social or a threat to society. Its prime o b jec tiv e w as to co n trol beggars, pimps, thugs and others that did not actively contribute to society. The Act was later modified to include the suppression of homosexuality. Because homosexuality was listed as a criminal offence, gays were unable to work or contribute to their pensions. Homosexuality was illegal in Spain up until 1979. In 2 0 0 1 , th e co u n try expunged the ‘criminal’ from its law concerning homosexuality and in 2005 the country became the third in th e w o rld to leg alis e g a y marriage,
The s e big a nd fa s t changes for equality ha ppe ne d unde r the government of Spanish Prime Minister Jose Zapatero, who was one of the main champions for LGBT Rights in Spain during his two-term of office (2004 2011). In the light of the oppression suffered by homosexuals and other ‘misfits’ under fascist rule the Euro Weekly News article, not surprisingly caused a firestorm of biblical proportions . Pe ople know Euro Weekly News is not a fascist rag, so seeing Smith airing his prejudices in it came as a shock to many, myself included, and our fury could barely be contained. I’m of the view that we should put this down to an unfortunate error of judgment by EWN and forgive and forget and move on.
Spanish folk queued up to be photographed with drag artist Roxie Corazon
About the author Barry Duke is editor of two atheist/humanist magazines: The Pink Humanist and The Freethinker. He has worked as a photojournalist for 50 years, and brought his skills to Benidorm six years ago. Duke is an ardent political activist who began campaigning in his teens against the fascist South African apartheid regime. He was forced to flee the country in 1973 when he was threatened with prosecution under the Suppression of Communism Act. After he was granted political asylum in the UK, he teamed up with gay rights organisations and was a founder member of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA). He describes himself as “a proud European” and hopes that the UK will vote on June 23 to stay in the EU, which has been a world leader in championing the rights of minorities, such as LGBT communities and women, and has introduced important environmental protection measures.
Barry Duke