The Madrid Summit brought together activists and organisations in Madrid to tackle LGBTIQ+ issues, in a forum where the voices of Rroma people are still missing.
On 3 July, Madrid hosted the latest edition of the Madrid Summit, MADO’s international human rights conference, which focused on defending LGBTIQ+ rights in a context characterised by polarisation, hate speech and various setbacks at a global level.
Held at the offices of the European Parliament and the European Commission in Spain, the event brought together activists, institutional representatives, experts and civil society organisations, who shared their analyses and proposals for tackling the inequalities that continue to affect the lives of this community. The full event can be watched again via the Madrid Summit 2026 broadcast.
During the Summit, key issues were addressed, such as the historical memory of LGBTIQ+ people who have suffered reprisals, trans rights, the situation of migrants and refugees, and the role of sport as a space for inclusion. The programme once again highlighted that discussing human rights means starting from the specific realities in which discrimination remains a reality.
Madrid: visibility and inequalities
Madrid is a beacon for the LGBTIQ+ movement, a space for visibility, organisation and mobilisation. But this central role coexists with a more complex reality: the city continues to be rife with inequalities, racism and LGBTIQ+phobia, which affect people differently depending on their background, social class or identity.
Not everyone in Madrid enjoys equal opportunities. For many, particularly those who belong to racialised communities such as the Rromani people, access to rights, safe spaces and a life free from discrimination remains a daily challenge.
Broadening the debate: a Rromani, anti-racist and feminist perspective
In this context, La Fragua Projects’ stance offers a much-needed perspective. As a Rromani, anti-racist and LGTBIQ+ organisation, its presence at the Madrid Summit highlights a fundamental issue: the defence of LGTBIQ+ rights cannot be understood without addressing racism, anti-Rromani sentiment and other forms of structural exclusion.
Being present in these spaces also means highlighting their limitations. At present, the participation of LGBTIQ+ Rroma People remains low in many such forums, which makes it difficult for their experiences and realities to form a central part of the debate.
It is not just about being present, but about participating on an equal footing: being heard, influencing the agenda and having a say in the decisions that affect our lives.
Rights exercised in everyday life
Talking about equality cannot be limited to mere rhetoric. It means asking who can live in safety, who is able to exercise their rights in practice, and who continues to face barriers to exercising them.
Along the way, it is also important to establish a presence, forge alliances and create spaces for dialogue – which are not always comfortable, but are necessary if we are to move towards a fairer society.
A challenge that remains unresolved
The Madrid Summit 2026 once again made it clear that LGBTIQ+ rights are not guaranteed and need to be defended constantly and collectively. But it also highlighted that such defence will only be complete if it includes all voices.
Because equality is not just about being present. It is about being able to take part in the conversation and in decision-making.
This is the first LGBTIQ+ Rromani gathering in Spain since 2017, aimed at building networks, raising awareness of people’s experiences and creating safe spaces
Two days of activities, dialogue and culture have shaped the first LGBTIQ+ Rromani gathering in Seville since 2017 – and the first of its kind in Andalusia and Seville – a pioneering initiative that places the voices of Rromani gender and sexual diversity at the centre, alongside their right to live with dignity, without fear and as part of a community.
On 18 and 19 June 2026, the Hogar Virgen de los Reyes in Seville hosted a gathering that went far beyond the official agenda. Above all, it was a space to assert our identities, recognise one another and collectively build new ways of being and resisting racism and LGBTIphobia.
The programme combined private, safe spaces with activities open to the public, striking a balance between personal care and social visibility.
A safe space to start sharing
The first day began with a safe space session aimed at LGBTIQ+ Rroma People, designed as a protected space where they could speak from their own experience. From the welcome session through to the group discussion sessions (LGBTIQ, GTBIQ and allies), the day focused on building trust, sharing experiences and putting into words realities that are often left out of the public narrative.
These discussions addressed key issues such as relationships with family and the community, the experience of living in the closet, and the need to have one’s own support networks. The session concluded with a group discussion which also served to raise a question for the future: what role should a potential LGBTIQ+ Rromani network play, and what priorities should it set?
Far from being a mere exchange of ideas, the meeting took shape as a first concrete step towards collective action.
Activism, culture and critical thinking
On the afternoon of 18 June, the programme broadened its scope with a series of open discussions bringing together activists, thinkers and cultural figures. Over the course of several hours, topics such as culture as a tool for transformation, Rromani transfeminism and tensions with hegemonic masculinity both within and outside the community were explored.
The contributions went beyond theory. They addressed specific lives, real conflicts and strategies for tackling violence. Within this framework, the reading of the ‘Seville 2026 Declarations’ gave a collective voice to the demands and reflections arising from different perspectives: LBTIQ and GTBIQ Rroma people and their allies (both Rroma and non-Rroma).
The event also incorporated artistic expression, with audiovisual screenings and a symbolic closing ceremony featuring a toast to Rroma Pride. A simple gesture which, in this context, takes on a profound meaning: celebrating existence, pride and the right to be.
Culture to open up cracks
The event was not limited to talks. The cultural programme played a central role, featuring a performance of the play ‘Puños de harina’ and book launches such as ‘Biopolítica del Armario’ and ‘Propaganda Queer’.
These proposals broadened the narrative by drawing on other languages, demonstrating how culture can also be a political tool and a space for resistance.
Pioneers who lead the way and recognition that matters
One of the symbolic moments of the event was the recognition of the actress Alba Flores as an LGBTIQ+ role model. This recognition took place as part of the 2nd LGBTIQ+ Awards Gala, where she was honoured in the ‘Role Model’ category alongside other key figures.
The award, nominated and accepted on her behalf by La Fragua Projects, through Iñaki Vázquez and Celia Montoya, highlights the importance of having visible role models who pave the way, especially for those who grow up without role models to look up to.
Alongside Alba Flores, the contributions of others – such as Shannis’s work in defending trans rights – were also recognised, broadening the focus to include other vital struggles within the LGTBIQ+ movement. This kind of recognition is not merely symbolic: it helps to shape our collective narrative, memory and vision.
A first step that leaves its mark
This first LGTBIQ+ Rromani gathering has not merely been an event, but a starting point. It has served to give a voice to a reality that exists, even though it has historically been rendered invisible, and to forge the first connections in a network that aims to continue growing.
In a context where anti-Rroma sentiment and LGBTI-phobia continue to shape people’s lives, initiatives such as this are not only necessary: they are urgent. The experience in Seville has left those who took part with a shared conviction: when people create their own safe, collective spaces, things happen.
And this was just the first one.
Source: La Fragua Projects Images: La Fragua Projects Photo: Alba Flores
For the first time, the city is hosting a dedicated programme that raises awareness of the realities faced by the LGBTIQ+ Rroma community as part of Pride 2026, featuring events, theatre and cultural activities
On Thursday, Seville hosted the first edition of Rroma Pride, a pioneering initiative that forms part of the city’s Pride programme under the slogan ‘Diversity without permission, Pride without limits’. The project aims to raise the profile of the voices, experiences and demands of the LGBTIQ+ Rroma community.
The Equality Officer for Seville City Council, José Luis García, emphasised that this proposal represents a step forward towards achieving “a Pride that truly belongs to everyone and is for everyone”. As he pointed out, the LGBTIQ+ Rroma community faces a dual reality, and recognising their activism, culture and diversity represents “an act of justice and respect”.
The programme kicked off at the Hogar Virgen de los Reyes with a gathering of the Rromani gender and sexual minority community, where activists from Andalusia and other parts of Spain shared experiences and strategies to strengthen the Rromani LGBTIQ+ movement.
Debate and culture as tools for change
The event also featured discussions and round-table sessions open to the public, led by Iñaki Vázquez, director of La Fragua Projects. These sessions addressed topics such as Rromani culture as a driving force for social transformation, Rromani transfeminism, masculinities and the so-called ‘Romani closet’.
The first day concluded with a theatrical performance of ‹Puños de harina›, by Jesús Torres, at the Teatro del Hogar Virgen de los Reyes, as part of a programme combining social activism, art and reflection.
The events will continue this Friday with the launch of the books *Biopolítica del armario* and *Propaganda queer* by Javier Sáez, as part of the cultural programme for Rroma Pride.
The initiative forms part of Seville City Council’s Diversity Month, a programme through which the city commemorates LGBTIQ+ Pride and champions equality and the rights of the community in all areas of society.
The RJE Network brings together organisations from Barcelona and the Camp de Tarragona to strengthen the collective response to racism
The Racial Justice & Empowerment Network (RJE Network) took its first steps on 2 and 3 June with an inaugural in-person meeting at the Casal de Barri Congrés-Indians in Barcelona and at the Casal de les Dones in Reus. The meeting brought together various social organisations working to defend rights from an anti-racist and feminist perspective, with the aim of beginning to build a collaborative network to strengthen support for migrants, refugees, Roma people and racialised communities.
Although the network is still in its early stages, it already has nine member organisations. Organisations such as MigrESS, Metzineres, Médicos del Mundo, Heroïnes Anònimes and H2O took part in this first meeting, sharing their knowledge, experiences and needs in order to begin to envisage how this alliance might work in practice.
The RJE Network was established as a forum for cooperation to improve access to resources in situations where rights are violated on racist or xenophobic grounds, and to tackle under-reporting from a collective and community-based perspective. Its objectives include strengthening coordination between organisations, facilitating case referrals, sharing tools and developing joint responses to the inequalities that many people face in their daily lives.
Furthermore, the network is committed to pooling diverse knowledge and skills, promoting training, forums for exchange and advocacy initiatives that contribute to a more effective defence of human rights from an intersectional perspective.
These meetings on 2 and 3 June served not only to present the initiative, but also to launch a collective process of development. The participating organisations began to jointly define the network’s values, priorities and organisational structures, in an exercise centred on listening, care and collaborative work.
At present, the RJE Network is in a start-up phase in which the foundations are being laid: from formalising memberships to creating forums for coordination and shared tools.
The medium-term objective is to establish a stable network that will enable joint initiatives to be sustained, increase the number of organisations involved, and continue to strengthen support that is more accessible, coordinated and people-centred.
This first meeting thus marks the start of a collective journey that seeks to transform, at a community level, the conditions that allow racism and inequality to continue to restrict genuine access to rights.
Source: La Fragua Projects Photos: La Fragua Projects
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