A year ago, the exhibition Planning LGTBI+ Diversity, Art and Culture was displayed in Gandia's Passeig de les Germanies. This exhibition consisted of sixteen panels, each featuring emblematic images from art history, such as the modification of Eugène Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People, where the French flag was replaced by the flag designed by Monica Helms in 1999, symbolizing expanded freedom.
The exhibition, which welcomed Gandia Pride 2025, was admired by passersby under the dim light of the streetlights. However, the next day it appeared damaged with homophobic graffiti, insults, and Nazi swastikas, covering parts of the canvases. This act of vandalism expressed hatred and attempted to negate the original content of the exhibition.
“"There is nothing purely psychological, but rather the insidious and effective action of sexual norms and the hierarchies they govern, which daily shape psyches and subjectivity."
Concern grew when police investigations indicated that the perpetrators of the homophobic acts were very young. This situation led to the reflection that young people learn from their adult role models, suggesting that the discourse of hatred originates from the mature part of society.
In response, a third exhibition, named Synthesis, was prepared, overcoming the opposition between the original proposal and its negation. The damaged panels were removed, and the original images reprinted, with the blue, pink, and white flag shining again. This event, which occurred in May 2025, was a gesture of assertiveness and pride, showing social progress in the defense of human rights and ethical values.
The relevance of this third phase lies in the reaffirmation of the main ideas of the original exhibition. It is essential to remember this struggle to avoid forgetting and to be able to transmit to new generations the importance of not repeating past mistakes, especially now that Gandia Pride 2026 has been announced.
