ARCHIVED - Campaign for transgender law steps up a gear on the Costa Blanca

The fight for trans rights continues in Valencia city on the Costa Blanca.

Valencia City Council has joined forces with Lambda, an LGBT collective, to step up a campaign demanding a state law protecting the rights of transgender people, similar to proposals approved by the regional council four years ago.

This highlighted the need for "comprehensive and adequate care for their medical, psychological, legal, educational, social, labour and employment needs in the development of their gender expression".

To raise awareness of the campaign, 10 large posters with QR codes have been placed in streets and locations across the city, redirecting people to a website which details the issues faced by transgender people, both now and historically in Valencia.

“It is necessary to make visible a variety of problems such as trans people suffering 80 per cent unemployment, that 77 per cent are rejected when looking for a flat or that 10 per cent of trans women sleep on the street, that is why a campaign like this and particularly a trans law, are so necessary”, explained the city council.

Trans people currently have to wait three years to change their name on official documents, "a complex situation a trans law would address".

One of the series of QR codes is located in the Plaza de la Virgen, where in 1978, following the Stonewall riots in America - a series of violent confrontations between gay rights activists and police and demonstrations in Europe nine years earlier - the first of many annual Pride rallies took place in Valencia. 

Another has been placed at the General Hospital Valencia, which in the 1980's was one of the first hospitals to treat sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS patients.

According to a survey carried out by dating website, MyDatingADviser.com, Spain is the third-best destination for LGBTQ+ travel (behind Sweden and the Netherlands) where "social acceptance" is higher (according to 89 per cent of those surveyed), and laws are "gay-friendly" compared to other countries worldwide.

Gender Identity Laws were implemented in 2007 which means all documents can be altered to the recognised gender, but it's still a "complex and lengthy process", and more needs to be done to "improve transgender rights", added Lambdar.

IMAGE: Ayuntamiento de Valencia