On International LGBTIQ + Pride Day Adeje council takes over as the spokesperson for the Prisma network, previously held by Vilaflor. This network is made up of representatives from councils in South Tenerife, and the goal of the network is to work towards the building of a society that is equal in all aspects and for everyone.
During the official handover there was a reading of a manifesto by the Canary Pride association, and a flag was hoisted in the Plaza Pedro Zerolo. The event was attended by members of the Adeje equality council and the Walk for Life Foundation, with political representation from different councils from the zone.
For the Adeje equality councillor, Juan Desiderio Afonzo Ruiz, who is now also the spokesperson for the Prisma network, “today more than ever it is really important to underline the rights we have worked for and achieved for the collective, not just because hate-speech is always present, but also we continue to fight for rights and equalities for all”.
Following the official event there was a planning meeting to look to the activities and actions needed to be taken to meet the needs of the LGTBIQ+ community in South Tenerife.
Adeje Diversa
Those present at the meeting took time to look at political/administrative tasks ahead regarding the Adeje Diversa service, offering physiological, social and health advice and attention, running under the Rayuela Association and the Adeje InfoSex service.
This service works to educate on matters regarding sexual diversity, promote activities that help raise awareness and deal with questions regarding sexual diversity, health, promoting health sex activities, preventing HIV and sexual transmitted diseases, establish synergies with other bodies and resources, through training workshops for the general public, parents associations, teachers, council working bodies, and with use of local media too.
Adeje already has in place a specialised team who are there to offer all the services included in the programme and there is a FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL telephone number, 686605011 and a contact email,
adejediversa@adeje.es. The Adeje sexual information point also has a specific contact number, 627971505, or
infosex@adeje.es
Canary Pride Manifesto
(Translated from original)
"Today, as LGBTIQ+ Pride, we want to warn you what they are trying to do, because as activists we are going to stop it.
Terrible hate speech is already heard within institutions: they stigmatise us, point at us, blame us for real and invented problems, present us as privileged people or worse, as threats to minors, or to women. They want us singled out, guilty, angry, afraid and hateful.
It is a strategy that we know, that we know how to recognise and that we are going to fight: our enemies will NEVER be migrants, will NEVER be women or feminists, will NEVER be Roma people, never persons defined by race.
We will not fall into a division among vulnerable groups. Together we will overcome hatred, but we will never be like the haters. And that is why we demand a State Pact against hate speech against all vulnerable groups, for any personal or social circumstance.
The enemy of equality will never be feminism nor the LGBTIQ+ collective. We cannot forget the children and young people of our collective, who have a fundamental right to be educated in equality and diversity so that they are not victims of aggressions by LGBTIphobia, so that they can develop their lives in complete normality.
We need an educational system with professionalstrained in the eradication of hatred for any circumstance, in an increasingly diverse country. We want to be recognized in companies as we are, with our diversity, with our way of living and feeling, eliminating all types of discrimination or harassment that may occur in our jobs.
We cannot allow ourselves to be made invisible again as LGBTIQ+ people. Our families may need protection due to the neglect of public services, which are aware of our needs and the realities we live with.
We demand that discrimination against people with HIV be ended once and for all, that PrEP be properly implemented in the Canary Islands and that the authorities stop stigmatising the collective as guilty of the spread of monkey pox.
We are going to win this fight for equality by convincing society. We are going to win increased human rights for ourselves and for all people, so that we all fit into this model of society as Pedro Zerolo told us. We are going to achieve it hand in hand with public institutions committed to rights, with the Cabildo de Tenerife in the LGBTIQ + Island Table, with the municipal councils, with the ASTERISCO Network and the PRISMA Network united."
Department of Communications
