Remarks about gays and lesbians from a new biography of Queen Sofia of Spain, leaked to the newspaper El País, have angered gay groups, baffled by the sudden and “unprecedented” commentary from the palace on social issues.
Of Gay Pride, the Queen says: “I can understand, accept and respect that there are people of other sexual tendencies, but should they be proud to be gay? Should they ride on a parade float and come out in protests? If all of those who aren’t gay came out to protest we would halt traffic.”
On marriage equality, she adds: “If those people want to live together, dress up like bride and groom and marry, they could have a right to do so, or not, depending on the law of their country, but they should not call this matrimony, because it isn’t. There are many possible names: social contract, social union.”
Said Antonio Poveda, head of FELGTB (the State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals and Bisexuals of Spain): “It is unprecedented that the palace, which usually never comments on social issues, now has to vent about one group of citizens who have been discriminated against in the past.”
Same-sex marriage was legalized in Spain in 2005.
