WORLDPRIDE MADRID 2017 LEGACY

In 2017, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Spain ́s first Pride Parade in 1977, which marked the beginning of the gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual rights movement in our country, which was in the full transition process towards democracy after 40 years of dictatorship, being the LGBT community one of the most affected by the repression of the regime.

Madrid Pride History

During the 80’s, the LGBT community settled down in the Chueca neighborhood, situa- ted in the heart of the city. Over the years, Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgenders made of this neighborhood (one of the most depressed areas of the city), not only their place for leisure and work, but also their home, in full coexistence with other neighbors and visitors. Together they transformed Chueca into one of the areas with greatest freedom, tolerance and diversity in Madrid, setting standards for many other cities in the world.

In the Chueca neighborhood and parallel to the first gay rights demonstrations for the LGBT rights, the Pride celebrations in Madrid are born in the mid 80’s. Pelayo Street, the opening speech in the Chueca neighborhood and the first stages are being established and becoming increasingly important. Nowadays they are part of the most emblematic events of the capital.

In 1997 a few floats participated for the first time in the parade. This is a very important milestone. It is a political and demanding demonstration with recreational, social and festive character thanks to the participation of many individuals, groups, associations and entrepreneurs. This demanding and recreational nature is the key hallmark of the LGBT demonstration in Madrid.

Since then, the Madrid Pride, understood both as demonstration and celebration in the Chueca neighborhood, has not stopped growing and is an essential element for the transformation of the Spanish reality, moving from conservative and discriminating to profoundly diverse and tolerant.

2005 was the year of equality for gays and lesbians. Spain was the third country in the world to recognize the right of homosexual partners to marry and the first to put marria- ge rights for people of the same gender on the same footing as those of different gender.

In 2007 the Europride celebration was another highlight in our history, consolidating the Madrid Pride internationally as “best gay event in the world” (Tripout Gay Travel Awards) in 2009 and 2010.

One of the most advanced legislation of the World

The context within which World Pride Madrid 2017 will be developed is to emphasize that Spain currently has one of the world ́s most advance legislations in regards to equal rights for the LGTB community.

The progress made by the LGBT community in Spain is the result of a long road which has been engaging all citizens and could not be understood without the Pride cele- bration. We have always believed and so it has been shown that Pride is more than a celebration or a claim. It is a transforming element of society.

The perfect mix of claiming and celebration, the inclusion of all citizens and the rea- lization of the Pride in the city center, where the LGBT community lives, prove to be a guarantee of success.

As a member of InterPride, International Association of Pride Organizers, AEGAL’s main objective is the organization of Madrid Pride, which has proven to be of great importance to the societal transformation. Through the 2017 Madrid WorldPride we want to involve the whole international LGBT community and invite all world Prides to experience to claim, celebrate and share with us the experience of transformation, contributing our bit so that in 2019, after 50 years of LGBT movement, we demonstrate that another world is possible.

The biggest Pride of the World

The WorldPride demonstration in Madrid 2017 was a global parade. At the head of the parade will be the Board and all InterPride members and attending delegates will have a reserved space. The manifesto was read jointly by representatives of Madrid and InterPride Co-Presidents.

Madrid Pride is one of the largest prides in the world with nearly 2,000,000 participants and a demonstration with about 1,000,000 attendees. The WorldPride celebration in Madrid will contribute decisively to one of InterPride’s main aims: to promote Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride on an international level.

To encourage diverse communities to hold and attend Pride events, WorldPride Madrid 2017 will contribute to continuing and expanding the work done for years in cooperation with the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Secretary of State for Latin America, the Institute of Cooperation and the House of America to support the organization of Pride events, equality campaigns, equal marriage and LGBT rights in those countries where they do not exist yet, with particular emphasis on Latin America.

Since 2008, AEGAL, in collaboration with Madrid Visitors & Convention Bureau (for- merly known as Promoción Madrid y Turismo Madrid), Turespaña and the Chamber of Commerce of Madrid have organized a wide range of actions promoting the Gay Pride in Madrid: ILGTA annual conventions in Las Vegas, Toronto and Antwerp, campaigns to promote LGBT tourism in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Boston, Washington and New York, tourism trade fairs such as World Travel Market in London, ITB Berlin in and has a dedicated LGBT area within the International Tourism Fair of Madrid (FITUR). The WordPride celebration 2017 in Madrid and Interpride same would be the central objective of the new promotion activities that will be develop in the coming years according to this line of action.

WorldPride Madrid 2017 sports a full program of conferences, seminars, workshops as well as cultural and sports activities, and a “kids and family pride” that will act as a source of education. However, the greatest asset of Madrid Pride is having contributed to transforming society and its mentality with regard to the LGBT community. The legacy of WorldPride Madrid 2017 will be an open door to everyone showing a multicultural, diverse and tolerant society.

Aproach to diversity

Spain has always been a melting pot of different cultures and civilizations, a bridge between Latin America and Europe, and between Africa, the Mediterranean and Europe. Madrid, the capital of Spain is a true example of a multicultural city.

Our objective with the celebration of World Pride Madrid 2017 is to use these bridges as a tool for spreading the values of equality, respect, tolerance, freedom and equal rights we enjoy in Spain all over the planet.

Madrid is an open gateway, but a gateway to diversity