Bilbao City Council is organizing an awareness campaign to make visible, protect, and promote the rights of LGBTIQ+ individuals this Sunday, June 28th, coinciding with International LGBTIQ+ Pride Day. Through this initiative, the Council reaffirms its commitment to equality, diversity, and human rights, working towards an inclusive society free from discrimination and hate speech.
Itziar Urtasun, Councilor for Equality and Fiestas, stated, “We want a Bilbao where all people live freely and without fear, without being judged for their sexual orientation or gender identity.” The Council continuously works to promote public policies that guarantee the real equality of the LGBTIQ+ community.
This campaign is part of the development of the I Municipal Plan for Sexual and Gender Diversity 2025-2030, a strategic tool that guides the Council's actions to promote public policies aimed at guaranteeing the rights of the LGBTIQ+ community and fostering their visibility in all areas of society, preventing discrimination and moving towards a more just, plural, and inclusive city.
Under the slogan “Bagara eta bagaude harro. Con orgullo, somos y estamos” (We are proud, we are and we are here. With pride, we are and we are here), the campaign positions Bilbao as a city that recognizes, embraces, and celebrates diversity, building its identity from the colors representing the different LGBTIQ+ realities.
The campaign will be visible on various physical media, including street furniture, digital screens in municipal buildings, the Council's website, and social media accounts. Additionally, Bilbao City Council will illuminate several buildings and public spaces with rainbow colors from June 24th to 28th, in conjunction with the Bilbao Bizkaia Harro event.
Specifically, the main facade of the City Hall will be illuminated in rainbow colors on the night of June 28th, International LGBTIQ+ Pride Day. Furthermore, from June 25th to 28th, the Bilbao Bizkaia Harro platform will host an extensive program filled with music, color, and pride.
Furthermore, Bilbao will host the XXII edition of the Zinegoak International Gay-Lesbi-Trans Film and Performing Arts Festival from June 22nd to 29th. The Council collaborates with the festival by supporting the Lesbianism and Gender Award, which recognizes the work that best addresses lesbianism from a gender perspective.
As every year, the Stonewall riots in New York in 1969 are commemorated, marking the beginning of the LGTBIQ+ rights and struggle movements. The Bilbao City Council encourages citizens to actively participate in the campaigns, mobilizations, and awareness activities organized for June 28th.
