A few days ago, an LGBQT anti-discrimination video from Spain popped onto Youtube and other sites around the internet. Since then, it's begun to go viral in the Spanish-speaking world. Here in Argentina, it's being passed around like yerba mate, the omnipresent Argentine herbal beverage that is always shared among friends and family in a single container.
Produced by the Federación Estatal de Lesbianas, Gais, Transexuales Y Bisexuales (FELGTB) [Governmental Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transexuals and Bisexuals], the video was shot in Madrid. Spain has undergone a radical social transformation in the decades since it was under the ultra-conservative dictatorship of Francisco Franco. It is almost as though 40 years of repressed liberalism suddenly burst forth in full bloom once the ancien regime tottered and fell.
Anti-discrimination legislation, of all sorts not simply LGBQT, came into being and Spain approved domestic partnerships in 1994. It was the third country in the world to legalize gay marriage back in 2005. So Spain has by now thoroughly embraced a culture that respects diversity and individual rights.
Still, discrimination exists everywhere. So FELGTB has put out this public service announcement to educate and encourage those who haven't gotten with the program to become better people.
I really like this video. It's different. So many anti-discrimination videos I've seen either try to shock the viewer or just warn about the illegality of discriminatory actions. This one is much gentler and inspiring, in a way saying "we are better than this and we should be better than this because that's how decent people are."
The video has subtitles in English and Spanish appropriately where needed. For those who can't watch, here's a recap. An American gay couple approach people in Madrid and inquire if they speak English. They say they are tourists who are trying to find their hostel and that they received an email from the proprietor but need someone to translate it for them.
From the bits and pieces we eventually hear, the letter is shockingly homophobic; the email tells the couple that the owner didn't realize until after accepting their reservation that they are gay and warns them not to display any affection lest they be kicked out and possibly assaulted.
The Spaniards who help the couple are touchingly conflicted as they read the email. It is obvious that they are embarrassed and appalled that such homophobia exists in their country and they desperately try to avoid translating the actual words for the gay couple, lest it cause them to be hurt or offended. Mostly they try to give them just the gist of it, telling them it is very rude or that the hostel would be a terrible place to stay.
Several advise them that the content is illegal in their country. Others go further and offer to accompany the couple to the police station to report it, telling them that the police can arrest the owner or shut down his business. All in all, what we see are kind and compassionate people trying to do the right thing and we take away the message that this is how everyone should aspire to be.
Kudos to FELGTB for a marvelous presentation and I hope their message will travel the world and change some hearts and minds.