Violence against sexual and gender diversity denounced in Zumaia

The Enor assembly held a rally in Saregileen square to protest the escalating violence faced by the LGBTIQ+ community.

Generic image: a solidarity event.
IA

Generic image: a solidarity event.

On May 17th, the International Day against Violence towards people with Sexual and Gender Diversity, members of the Enor assembly gathered in Zumaia's Saregileen square to denounce the violence faced by the LGBTIQ+ community and the system that perpetuates it.

They stated that the recent surge in aggression against sexual and gender dissidents is "increasingly violent," and that with the rise of fascism and reactionary discourse, their rights are becoming negotiable. They added that the existence of trans people has become a constant public debate, and policies to control their bodies are being normalized.
They highlighted that the Basque Country, and specifically Zumaia, is not exempt from this reality. Enor has denounced incidents of violence in Zumaia, such as insults, threats, and beatings, emphasizing that these are "expressions of the same system," even if they are often presented as isolated events.
They explained that this violence is not merely the hatred of specific individuals but "structural violence," where the Cisheteronormativity imposes heterosexuality and cisgender identity as the sole "normal," "natural," and desirable way of life, marginalizing, punishing, or rendering invisible all bodies and identities that fall outside this norm.
In response, they called for "responsibility," asserting that LGTBIQ+ phobia does not arise spontaneously but is created, fueled, and sustained by Cisheteronormativity.
Finally, they reminded attendees that today's rally was not solely to condemn violence. "We are here to recognize each other, weave networks, and also to declare that we will continue defending our lives." Despite having been historically silenced, pathologized, and marginalized, they affirmed their commitment to "caring for each other, creating spaces, and building different worlds from a place of dissent."