Catalonia declared 'LGBTIQ Freedom Zone' by Parliament

The Catalan parliament approved a draft resolution declaring Catalonia an "LGBTIQ Freedom Zone" on Wednesday.

All parties except for far-right Vox, who lauded recent measures taken in Hungary against the LGBTIQ community, voted in favor of the motion.

The draft resolution condemns violence and discrimination based on one's gender or sexual orientation and stresses that authorities must protect the community's rights.

The move, replicating that which the EU parliament took in March "in response to the backsliding of LGBTIQ rights in some EU countries, notably Poland and Hungary," comes less than a week after the murder of a young man in A Coruña, Galicia, sparked outrage across Spain.

Samuel Luiz, a 24-year-old nursing assistant, was beaten to death on Saturday in what witnesses described as a homophobic attack — police, however, have not yet ruled out other possible motives.

His murder prompted protests in cities across Spain, including Barcelona, on Monday.