Es Mercadal is marking International LGBTI Pride Day with a banner, new rainbow benches and an institutional declaration in support of the rights of LGBTI people.
The banner
A large banner has been hung on the town’s multipurpose hall with the message: “Es Mercadal, a free, diverse and proud municipality.”
The benches
On Friday, two new benches painted in the colours of the LGBTI flag will be installed in a public space, with members of the local associations Diverxia and Filosa attending. The two rainbow benches the town already had will be repaired and returned to public spaces.
Rainbow benches and crossings have become a common way for towns in Spain and elsewhere to show visible support for sexual and gender diversity.
The declaration
At the ordinary council meeting the following Monday, the town council will read and approve an institutional declaration in support of LGBTI rights. The text calls for coexistence, inclusion and respect for diversity, and stresses that LGBTI people are not asking for privileges, but for the fundamental rights that belong to everyone — rights that institutions and society as a whole must respect, protect and guarantee.
Pride Day
International LGBTI Pride Day is celebrated on 28 June, commemorating the Stonewall riots in New York in 1969, which marked a turning point in the movement for the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
In Menorca
Menorca’s town councils have increasingly marked the day with institutional declarations, flags and activities, and local associations organise events throughout the island. Supporters say visible gestures like these help LGBTI people, especially young people in small towns, feel safe and recognised in their communities.
Such displays have also been the subject of political debate in some Spanish towns, where parties disagree on whether institutions should fly flags or adopt symbols associated with particular causes. In Es Mercadal, the council has opted to make its support clearly visible.
