For López, this demand makes more sense than ever "given the increase in hate speech and attacks against the community fueled by the right, and especially by the far-right". "Rights are not inherited; they are conquered and defended. That is why Pride remains essential", he stated.
The socialist spokesperson accused the mayor, Begoña Carrasco, of practicing a "double standard". "She pretends to present herself as a defender of the LGTBI community while PP and Vox continually question their rights and systematically vote against any progress in equality", he pointed out. For López, the mayor "has emptied Pride in Castelló of its content", turning it "into an image operation and a bread and circuses festival, devoid of protest and distant from the associations that have been defending the community's rights for decades".
Added to this lack of political commitment, according to the socialist spokesperson, is the failure to fulfill one of the promises included in the electoral program with which Begoña Carrasco ran in the 2023 municipal elections: the creation of the Gui@ Office to attend, advise, and offer psychological support to LGTBI individuals. "Three years later, that office still does not exist. Carrasco promised resources and has only offered photographs and image campaigns", he lamented.
The Socialist Municipal Group also criticizes the mayor's silence regarding the cuts promoted by the Popular Party's Consell, including the closure and dismantling of the Orienta offices, a reference service for the care and support of LGTBI individuals and their families. "Whoever remains silent when rights are cut is also responsible for those setbacks", stated López.
The socialist spokesperson also recalled that just this week the Congress of Deputies took another step in protecting the community's rights by approving the reform of the Penal Code promoted by the PSOE to punish so-called conversion therapies with prison sentences. The initiative passed with 178 votes in favor, while Vox voted against and the Popular Party opted for abstention. "It is impossible not to see the contrast between those who continue to expand rights and those who remain ambiguous when it comes to protecting the dignity of LGTBI people", he noted.
José Luis López recalled that it was the PSOE that promoted achievements such as equal marriage, homoparental adoption, the Zerolo Law, or the Trans and LGTBI Law, and warned that "no right is guaranteed forever". "The best way to celebrate Pride is not to put up flags one day a year. It is to defend rights every day of the year, even if it means confronting those who want to roll them back. That is what commitment is about; the rest is pure posturing", he concluded.
