The Gay Pride March has been celebrated in Spain since no less than 1977. And although homosexuality has not been considered a crime in our country for over 40 years, there is still much to be done by the LGBTI community. Therefore, taking advantage of today's Pride Day, we want to tell you about some monuments that commemorate the struggle of the community and the reasons why they rose up.
Angel, Frankfurt
This statue was the first German memorial carved to commemorate homosexual victims who were persecuted during Hitler's regime. The monument depicts an angel with its head bowed and has a plaque reading, "Remember that people who love others of the same sex continue to face persecution." An estimated 15,000 homosexual people were murdered during the Holocaust.
Gay Liberation Monument, New York
This is considered the first sculpture dedicated to LGBTI rights to be erected in a public place. Interestingly, it was first erected in Wisconsin in 1986 and wasn't moved to New York until 1992. To commemorate everything that happened during the Stonewall riots of 1969, following the celebration of Gay Pride Day, this monument consists of two bronze pieces (varnished white) of two standing men and two seated women. Precisely for this reason, they are located just a few meters from the bar where the protests began.
Monolith in Durango
In the town of Durango (Vizcaya), a sculpture by Koldobika Jáuregui was installed in 2009 to commemorate all those who were persecuted during the Franco regime for their sexual orientation or issues related to sexual or gender dissidence. These individuals were punished by being interned in work establishments or agricultural colonies under the "Law of Vagrants and Criminals."
Alan Turing memorial
Alan Turing was a mathematician who helped the Allies decipher the Nazi Enigma machine messages, thus helping the British win World War II (you can learn more about his story in the film "Unraveling Enigma"). Despite his immeasurable help, he was sentenced under British law to chemical castration due to his sexual orientation. A statue of him was erected in Manchester near Canal Street in 2001.
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