Right after Spain and the rest of the world celebrated Pride month in June 2021, a young gay man named Samuel Luiz was beaten to death on the dawn of 3 July 2021 in A Coruña, in the province of Galicia in northwest Spain.
Samuel was enjoying a night out with his friends when he was murdered. At the time of the attack, Samuel and his friend Lina were near the bus platform video-calling Lina's girlfriend, when the attackers used a homophobic slur against them. A recently released video shows Samuel was then violently assaulted twice by six attackers. The autopsy confirmed that the body had injuries to the nose, ear, mouth, and head and signs of being grabbed by the neck several times.
PEOPLE TAKE TO THE STREETS
Samuel´s death has sparked outrage both nationally and internationally, with thousands of people attending protests in the Spanish capital and other cities, including in A Coruña. The protestors denounced the attack, asking for justice for Samuel and for reinforcement of legal protection for LGBTQ+ rights in the country. For many of the protestors, the attacks are nothing new. They decided to gather to reclaim the demands as their own, as the majority of them had also experienced homophobic aggressions. "They attacked me at three o'clock in the morning right here, next door. […] Three of them beat me up and left me lying there. I was in a coma for a day,” said one attendee in a demonstration in Madrid.
Since the attack was denounced, all six aggressors were detained as suspects, including two underage boys, three adult men and an adult woman. All of them except the woman (who was released with charges) were arrested and sent to prison or to a juvenile facility.
CONCERNS OVER GROWING HOMOPHOBIA
Spain has always been described as one of the friendliest countries in the world towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) persons. It was the third country globally to approve same-sex marriage in 2005. But does the murder of Samuel show that things are changing? Is Spain going backwards in LGBTQ+ rights?
Several homophobic aggressions have raised concerns over growing homophobia in Spain in the last few months. In May 2021, the Observatory Against Homophobia (OCH), a Catalan association advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, denounced several attacks against gay couples in the regional capital, Barcelona.
Many commentators tie the growing homophobia to the rise of the political far-right in Spain in recent years. The political party Vox, representing this ideology, became the third most voted political party in the previous general elections. Manu Peinado, the director of Plataforma LGBTICAT, a platform comprising different queer associations, is clear about this: "We are living in an age when hatred is being cultivated by the far-right, and that message is being taken up by many young people with disastrous results".
However, the current government is far from sharing these opinions. The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, along with several Spanish ministers, including the Minister of Equality, Irene Montero, were quick to condemn the attacks and the growing homophobia. Furthermore, on 29 June 2021, the government approved a bill that would extend the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. Although the bill must still pass several stages to become law, (including being passed by Congress, where it will encounter a “no” from Vox), it already represents a step forward for the country and the queer community. If approved, the law will introduce new fines against homophobic and transphobic insults, including those made on social media platforms across all Spanish territory. "It is important for these infractions to carry fines to eradicate the problem from the state so that nothing is tolerated," said one LGBTQ+ activist.
With the killing of Samuel and the latest developments in hate crimes, the situation in Spain emphasizes the importance of approving the new bill to become law. It also serves as a reminder that Spain, under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, has the obligation under article 3 to provide equal rights and political rights for all.
Raquel holds a Bachelor´s in International Relations and is currently studying a Masters in Political Communication in Spain. She is a trained Climate Reality Leader and has experience working for human rights organizations. She is interested in political advocacy, environmental justice, women´s rights, and the promotion of international cooperation.