World Pride Madrid 2017: The Front Lines of Progress

World Pride Madrid 2017: The Front Lines of Progress
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If you need motivation to get back in the gym, look no further than Madrid. With all that muscle walking around one would think a battle of muscle bound warriors is about to ensue, but the only fight you will see in Madrid is the battle for equality. In 2017 Madrid is host to the International World Pride event which, according to them is,

The biggest occasion to celebrate for the LGBT community, and for the rest of people of Madrid, who want to show their pride of being an open minded city that celebrates and encourages diversity.

As a tourist, I knew one thing that I needed to experience while in Spain was the World Pride event. So I took the time to go into the city and experience the love, which was in no short supply. In just a short amount of time I was able to talk to people from all around the world and ask them what they liked about the event, about Madrid and about the opportunity to feel free to be themselves. You can watch some of their responses in the video below.

While most people shared their stories of the people they had met, how open minded the environment was and how nice everyone seemed to be, it was becoming clear to me that an even bigger story was unfolding. That story is the story of Madrid itself. During my time in the city it was clear just how far Madrid had gone to make everyone not only feel safe, but also welcome. The city had planned every small detail to ensure that everyone felt free to be who they truly are with no strings attached, down to the rainbow colored port-a-potties. Even crossing the street one could see just how far the city had gone to cultivate a sense of welcome as the street crossing traffic lights had been changed. In this picture I took you can see two women crossing the street together.

Street Crossing Sign Madrid Spain 2017

Street Crossing Sign Madrid Spain 2017

Justin Seymour

In my quest to talk with people I spoke with several Americans that had come all the way to Spain for the Pride event. While several agreed to share their experience on camera with me, many were reluctant to go on camera. The people that declined to go on camera were Americans and they explained that they worked jobs in which they were afraid would find out about their sexuality. I spoke with a Pediatric Doctor and a Teacher at a prominent academy that were happy to talk with me but did not want to appear in a video for fear of potentially losing their jobs or facing criticism back home.

The irony began to dawn on me. These people had to travel over four thousand miles to find a place where they felt truly welcomed to be themselves. They had come to celebrate “pride” in who they are, which by its very nature does mean hiding from that truth. Celebrating pride in ones self is about openly expressing to the world who you are without fear of repercussions for simply being who you are. While the U.S. has made massive strides in recent years, many professional Americans still don’t feel truly welcome in their jobs and hometowns.

As an American the event was filled with this kind of irony that seemed to lead to a culminating moment at the end of the parade. The parade ended at a statue of Christopher Columbus with an arm outstretched and open hand. As a history teacher I couldn’t help but think of the terrible things Columbus brought to the Americas, but on this day the statue almost seemed to be gesturing to America to take a look at Madrid and see what a free society looks like.

When we travel we always learn about other cultures and it helps us to better understand our own in the context of the greater world. I can only say from my experience in Madrid that I am proud of the strides The United States has made, but I also hope to see our culture learn from Spain and become a more open and accepting culture especially in places where people feel the most afraid to truly be themselves.

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