Spain Celebrates Decade Of Marriage

This weekend an estimated 1.5M attended Madrid Pride, which fell on the tenth anniversary of same-sex marriage in Spain.

The country’s parliament and senate passed the law on June 30th 2005, with it coming into force three days later on July 3rd. Two weeks later, on July 11th, Spain’s first ever same-sex wedding took place when couple Emilio Menéndez and Carlos Baturín, who had been together for 30 years, married in Madrid. The law made Spain only the third country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, after the Netherlands and Belgium and 17 days ahead of Canada. Despite Spain’s reputation as a traditionalist and religious country, 66 percent of Spaniards supported the law at the time, even amid protests from the Roman Catholic Church that it would "devalue marriage". The law was strongly opposed by the opposition Popular Party. When conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy took office in 2011, he professed his opposition to same-sex marriage, but said he would wait and see what the country's Constitutional Court would rule on the issue. The law was upheld by the court, with eight supporting votes and three against. The conservative government said it would abide by the ruling and the law would not be repealed.

Madrid will host World Pride 2017.

(Via JMG reader GanymedeRenard)

One Million Attend Madrid Pride 2014

Madrid claims to have put on the largest gay pride celebration in Europe.

“I came because I was told it is the biggest Gay Pride parade, and that’s true,” said Christophe Probst, 47, a Frenchman who came from Paris for the party. “It’s fantastic. The whole city gets involved. There is nothing else like it.” The festival kicked off on Wednesday night with an open air appearance by Conchita Wurst, the bearded Austrian transvestite who won the Eurovision song contest in May. That was followed on Thursday by an annual highlight of the festival: men in high heels and dresses raced on foot through Madrid’s gay district, Chueca, cheered on by crowds. Wurst sang on Friday evening alongside various Spanish stars at a concert in the Vicente Calderon stadium, home to Atletico Madrid football club. Organisers call it the biggest pride party in Europe.

In the second clip below, Conchita Wurst performs with Ruth Lorenzo, Spain's 2014 Eurovision contestant.

SPAIN: Mayor Fines Madrid Pride $216K For Violating Noise Ordinances

The mayor of Madrid, who is a member of Spain's anti-gay People's Party, has fined the local gay pride committee $216K for violating noise ordinances at this year's festival.

This is the fourth successive year the festival has been fined for noise violations. Past fines ranged from €35,000-€50,000, against which organisers successfully appealed and had reduced or waived. The courts have so far reduced one of the fines to €600, but have yet to rule on the other two. This year's edition of Madrid Pride, held in July, earned 15 fines totalling €159,809. Organisers have appealed against the fines, but said it could take more than a year before they find out if their appeal is successful. "We've never seen city hall so short-sighted, with such little political will towards us," said Rodrigo. The celebration of gay pride, started in 1979, attracts an estimated 1.5 million people each year and offers the city a chance to "show that Madrid is an open, multicultural and tolerant city". "They need to stop trying put obstacles in the way of the event," she said. When the organisers of Madrid Pride decided to nominate the city to host World Pride, Madrid's mayor, Ana Botella, wrote a letter of support backing the campaign. Now, with the city gearing up to host the global event in 2017, Rodrigo said the mayor's attitude had changed. "She's putting up permanent barriers to our success," said Rodrigo. "What's clear is that the ideology of a person, when that person is the mayor of Madrid, shouldn't interfere at all in her political responsibilities."

RELATED: The People's Party returned to power after a landslide victory in 2011 and now holds the majority in both chambers of the national legislature. In November 2012 the Constitutional Court rejected their appeal of the Socialist Party's 2005 same-sex marriage law.

Petition Of The Day

Athlete Ally has launched a petition campaign which demands that the International Olympic Committee chose Madrid as the host city of the 2020 Summer Games. Via press release:

On September 7 the IOC will choose the host city for the 2020 Olympic Games. Of the three finalists, Tokyo, Madrid and Istanbul, one city shines above as LGBT friendly. And only one of the respective countries - Japan, Spain, and Turkey - has equality under the law. “The IOC has an opportunity in September, when the choice for the next Olympic site is chosen. Madrid is the one candidate who is very open and accepting,” Athlete Ally Advisory Board member and Olympic legend Greg Louganis told MSNBC. “Take the Olympics to a place where its ideals and the Olympic movement can thrive.” "The Olympic movement will be strengthened if the IOC takes this opportunity to make a powerful statement for equality with the selection of Madrid in 2020,” said Athlete Ally Founder and Executive Director Hudson Taylor. “It's important for the IOC to recognize how much support exists for this human rights issue.