303 cases of LGBT-phobia registered in Catalonia in 2023 

Verbal aggressions represented majority of incidents 

A pride demonstration for LGBTQI+ rights
A pride demonstration for LGBTQI+ rights / Eli Don
Catalan News

Catalan News | @catalannews | Barcelona

July 21, 2024 10:46 AM

July 21, 2024 10:46 AM

The Observatory against LGBT-phobia registered 303 cases of violence and discrimination in Catalonia in 2023, which represents a 27.8% increase compared to the previous year.  

145 of the registered cases of LGBT-phobia were directed to gay men (63% of total), followed by 39 aggressions to trans women (17%), 11 to trans men (4.8%) and 8 cases of violence against non-binary people (3.5%).  

Verbal aggressions represented the majority of the cases reported with 25.5% (77 cases), which included insults and derogatory remarks.  

Physical assault made up for a quarter of all registered incidents, 23.5% of all cases, 71 in total, which is 12 more than in 2022.  

The average age of the people who registered LGBT-phobic aggressions was 35.7 years old.

A person holding up a sign at a LGBTI rights protest in Barcelona (by Eli Don)
A person holding up a sign at a LGBTI rights protest in Barcelona (by Eli Don) / ACN

Barcelona was the area with the most registered cases with 70.5% (236), followed by Tarragona (23,6%), Lleida (3,9%), and Girona (2%). 

Most of the aggressions happened in-person (80.4%), and 13.9% were committed through digital media such as social media or online platforms. That is why the Observatory emphasizes the "importance of tackling the problem of LGBT-phobia on online platforms because anonymity can make it easier for people to have discriminatory behavior." 

Most of the cases reported occurred on the streets (24.7%), followed by the cases registered on a nightlife context (16.3%), and public transport (7.7%). 

The director of the paper from the Observatory, Cristian Carrer, noted that "LGBT-phobia finds the spots to infiltrate in order to harm" and that is why it is important to create laws around the contexts where aggression and discrimination happen.

Filling the Sink podcast

Every year in Catalonia, the LGBTI+ community celebrates Pride, an almost month-long celebration of events, talks, demonstrations, and more, culminating in the big Pride demonstration or Parade in Barcelona, on Saturday, July 20th.

Press play below to listen or subscribe on Apple PodcastsYouTube or Spotify.