Spain: Gay Marriage Law Reaffirmed By Top Court

The Huffington Post reports:

Spain’s Constitutional Court upheld the legality of the country’s gay marriage law on Tuesday, rejecting an appeal contending that marriage in the Spanish constitution means only the union of a man and woman.
The county’s top court voted 8-3 to dismiss the appeal of the conservative Popular Party filed shortly after Spain became the world’s third country to approve gay marriage.
Spain’s Parliament passed the gay marriage law in 2005 when it was Socialist-controlled, with Popular Party deputies opposed. The Popular Party took power late last year after the Socialists were ousted over their handling of the economy.
The gay marriage law angered the predominant Roman Catholic Church but opinion surveys showed most Spaniards backed it. Belgium and the Netherlands approved gay marriage laws before Spain.
More than 22,000 gay marriages have taken place in Spain.

Spain: The Secretary of Justice, Rights & Liberties Comes Out As Gay

Via Boy4Me:

The newspaper El Mundo has revealed the homosexuality of the Secretary of Justice, Rights and Freedoms Party (PP), Iñaki Oyarzábal in the list of most influential personalities LGTB Spanish scene.

Oyarzábal, Secretary of Justice, Rights and Freedoms and PP national general secretary of the Partido Popular in the Basque Country, his homosexuality has made visible ranking third in the list published a year by the newspaper El Mundo.

The Basque politician said in the past that “the Popular Party has done what he had to do to put the lead in recognizing” the rights of the LGBT community.

Attorney General, Civil Liberties and People’s Party carried out such statements even though the political party he belongs to proceed with an appeal to the Constitutional Tribunal (TC) against equal marriage.
As reported by The Courier, Oyarzábal asked a month ago the leader of the Basque PP, Antonio Basagoiti, whether it was appropriate that announced his homosexuality in the newspaper El Mundo, finally giving way to come out after the popular leader would support the political decision to disclose his homosexuality.

The justice minister, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon Oyarzábal congratulated for his coming out, thanking him because they know “the value of policy coherence, authenticity. You, today, are an example of that authenticity and transparency . We are deeply grateful.

We do the same in private than in public life because we teach our right to be proud of it. “
Elena Valenciano, deputy secretary general of the PSOE, has also joined the support it has received Oyarzábal after coming out, saying that the political “can now become ambassador to the PP to ask to withdraw the appeal against equal marriage.”

Song Of The Day: La Oreja de Van Gogh - Rosas 

Spain: Hate Groups Gather In Madrid

Joe.My.God. reports: 

The World Congress Of Families takes place in Madrid this weekend, where the main topic of discussion appears to be the “demographic winter” facing Europe, namely the relative decrease in the number of white Christian babies. But the other big topic, of course, is the demise of the “natural family,” the issue which has drawn the attendance of Porno Pete [Peter LaBarbera], the Red-Caped Catholic Loons, the Concernstipated Women, and other American opponents of civil equality such as the Alliance Defense Fund and Focus On The Family, both of whom are major sponsors of the convention. Ironically, all of this takes place in a nation which offers its citizens full marriage equality.

Spain: Press Statement By Ex-Social Prisoners Association Against Tarragona’s Archibishop

Via Universo Gay:

Ex-Social Prisoners Association composed of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and repressed during the Franco dictatorship, filed a first complaint against the Archbishop of Tarragona for incitement to hatred and discrimination against homosexuals to the Office of Barcelona (“Services Hate and Discrimination “).

Faced with the same file by the Prosecutor Coordinator, the association filed a complaint in the High Court of Sant Feliu de Llobregat, falling this in the Court of 1st Instance and Instruction No. 2. This court opened Preliminary Proceedings, decreeing turn the stay of proceedings and file them on April 25 and report of such a resolution to this entity on May 7, giving a time limit of three days to present Reform challenged before the Court. The said appeal was filed yesterday May 10, 2012.

The following words, spoken on TV3 by D. Jaume Pujol Balcells, Archbishop of Tarragona, are a faithful indoctrination in hatred and discrimination towards people who freely develop their sexuality: “I distinguish very well between people and between people’s behavior. All people are children of God (…) but there are behaviors that are not suitable either for individuals or for society, the Church can speak, but then do not force anything because we have Mossos d’Esquadra or prisons. “

Statements by the president of the Ex Prisoners Association, Antoni Ruiz

Yesterday was an important day for the LGBT community, and we knew the decision of the head of the Court of Instruction No. 6 of Alcala de Henares to review the statements of Bishop de Alcalá in his homily on Good Friday about homosexuals.

The conquest of the rights we enjoy today has not been easy. Many comrades have fallen by the wayside, but we are convinced we will get, using the tools that the rule of law makes available to the public, that the Hierarchy of the Catholic Church does not return to denigrate or to rob us of our dignity under the cover of freedom expression. We are confident that sooner than later Mr. Jaume Pujol Balcells, Archbishop of Tarragona, will have to explain to the courts for offenses expressed in TV3 and the desire to re-criminalize homosexuality in our country. This is our firm commitment: always seek justice, even beyond our borders.

In Xirivella, to May 11, 2012

SPAIN: New Government Working To Reverse Progressive Reforms

Joe.My.God. reports:

Spain’s Popular Party was elected late last year in a landslide and they are already working to reverse the many progressive reforms made by the Socialists. Gay marriage isn’t yet openly up for repeal, but observers worry that day is coming soon.

People’s Party rising star Justice Minister Alberto Ruíz Gallardón, a former mayor of Madrid and one of the most popular politicians in Spain, announced he would soon introduce a bill to overturn the changes the Socialists made to Spain’s abortion law, reverting to the 1985 version.

According to the current version, approved in 2010, teenagers aged 16 and older can have an abortion without parental permission in some cases and don’t need to meet pre-approved circumstances, such as rape or mental illness, as long as it’s during the first trimester. The People’s Party’s reforms will reverse both changes, Mr. Gallardón reiterated in a radio interview on Feb. 1, although he didn’t offer specifics other than it would mirror the 1985 version of the law.

And on Jan. 30, Education Minister José Ignacio Wert announced that a new law would replace the civic education curriculum that Socialist introduced in 2006, which included lessons on religious, racial, and sexual tolerance that were loudly criticized by the Catholic Church and the country’s extreme right. Mr. Wert said he would eliminate “issues that controversial and susceptible to ideological indoctrination,” although he didn’t offer more details.

The Popular Party’s new dominance of the legislature effectively means that it can institute any changes it wants to without interference.

Spain’s Notodofilmfest Contestant: Una Buena Noticia

Synopsis:

A [University] student is at the library reviewing his notes of Spanish History while listening his favourite [radio show], where he is [about to] listen an incredible news.

Notodofilmfest is a film festival born in 2001 with a vocation to support young audiovisual creators and provide a showcase for them using a new medium, Internet. It also broke down barriers in film production and distribution.

Notodofilmfest.com is an initiative of La Fábrica based on Javier Fesser’s original idea: a festival that puts Internet at the service of cinema as a formula for discovering new talent in order to experiment with a new medium within the reach of everyone and achieve a very wide dissemination. With eight editions behind it, Notodofilmfest.com is widely recognised in Spain as Internet’s reference film competition.

My friend Diego M. Riveroll, who was the Director of Photography for this project, tipped me with this info. Check and review this out.  

Song Of The Day: La 5A Estación - Me Muero

Song Of The Day: La Oreja De Van Gogh - Puedes Contar Conmigo 

City Of The Week: Valencia, Spain 

City Of The Week: Cadiz, Spain 

Spain: Men Defy Anti-Gay Election With Kiss On Al Jazeera

Spain: Anti-Gay Party Wins Control Of Parliament, Gay Marriage Imperiled

Joe.My.God. reports:

Led by anti-gay asshat Mariano Rajoy, Spain’s deeply conservative Popular Party scored a landslide victory in yesterday’s national elections. Rajoy has vowed to repeal same-sex marriage rights once he’s in power.

The Socialist Party, which has governed Spain since 2004, has admitted defeat. Mr Rajoy, who is expected to tackle the country’s debts amid slow growth and high unemployment, said he was aware of the “magnitude of the task ahead”. He told supporters there would be “no miracle” to restore Spain to financial health, and that the country must unite to win back respect in Europe. “Forty-six million Spaniards are going to wage a battle against the crisis,” said the 56-year-old PP leader. The PP won about 44% of the votes and the Socialists 29% in Sunday’s election, according to near-complete official results. The PP is expected to take about 186 of the 350 seats in the lower house. As the results were announced, jubilant, flag-waving supporters danced outside party headquarters in central Madrid.

Analysts say the Socialists primarily lost power due to discontent over the continuing debt crisis and not because of “morality issues” promoted by the Popular Party.

MAP KEY: Blue is Popular Party, red is Socialist, yellow/green are regional parties.

UPDATE: Some Spanish gay couples are rushing to get married right away over fears of a repeal.

Folkloric Music Of The Week: José Carreras - Core ´ngrato 

Ricky Martin Granted Spanish Citizenship 

Pink News reports:

Puerto Rican pop singer Ricky Martin was given Spanish citizenship today, the country’s government said.
The star, who came out in 2009 reportedly wants to take advantage of Spain’s gay marriage laws.
Spokesman Jose Blanco told a news conference that ministers had agreed to grant him a “letter of naturalization”, issued in special circumstances, because of his “personal and professional links with Spain”.
Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that Martin sought citizenship in order to marry boyfriend Carlos Gonzalez Abella, with whom he is bringing up his twin three-year-old sons.
Spain passed legislation allowing same-sex marriages in 2005, only the third country to do so at the time, with 20,000 gay couples entering into marriage since.
Appearing on the Larry King show last year, he had said: “I would get married… There are many countries around the world where same-sex marriage is a right. Not in Puerto Rico, unfortunately. And not in many states in America.
“Yes, we could go to Spain and get married. We can go to Argentina and get married. But why do we have to go somewhere else? Why can’t I do it in my country where the laws are – you know, protecting me?”
He added: “I can go to Spain. I have many friends in Spain. And get married. And make it very beautiful and symbolic. But… I [can’t] do it in the backyard of my house. I want to have that option. I don’t want to be a second class citizen anymore. I pay my taxes. Why can’t I have that right?”
Martin celebrated coming out by appearing nude in a video entitled My Skin Talks.