"¿El Orgullo es un Negocio?" Especial Orgullo LGTBIQ+ (ECI #167)

In El Círculo Independiente, Euprepio Padula brings together Mili Hernández, Boris Izaguirre, Daniel Valero, David, and Mia Daniela “La Huesito” for a special program celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride. The conversation is not just a celebration, but a collective reflection on rights, memory, activism, politics, the trans experience, bisexuality, and the risk of taking for granted what still needs to be defended. From the outset, Padula reminds everyone that Pride shouldn't be limited to a specific month. For those who are part of the community, Pride is lived every day of the year. From there, the discussion becomes an intense gathering, with moments of humor, disagreement, and emotion, where each guest speaks from a different perspective. There is no single way to be LGBTQ+. One of the major debates revolves around education. Mili Hernández points out that many laws were made possible because for years the community explained, insisted, and convinced society. Without that work, the progress would not have been possible. But weariness also emerges. David and Mia Daniela point out that LGBTQ+ people can't always be expected to justify their existence to those who refuse to understand it. Boris Izaguirre situates part of the debate within the current political climate and warns of a desire among certain right-wing institutions to corner Pride, especially in Madrid. The city appears as a symbol of a freedom that many remember with nostalgia, but also as a space that has changed. They talk about Chueca, the commercialization of Pride, its success, and its contradictions. The celebration has grown, but the risk is that the demands will be diluted amidst business, brands, and friendly posters. Mili offers the perspective of someone who knows the inner workings of activism. She recalls that Pride was also built on the efforts of those who requested permits, negotiated spaces, and defended rights when doing so was much more difficult. For her, the movement itself must assume some responsibility for how the celebration has evolved. Much has been gained, but success has also brought a certain complacency. And that comfort can be dangerous if it leads to forgetting where it all comes from. The trans experience occupies one of the most important moments of the program. Mia Daniela speaks from the direct experience of someone who still receives stares, judgments, and discourses that question her life. Her phrase "let me be" summarizes a basic demand. It's not about asking for privileges, but about being able to exist without having to justify oneself. Daniel points out that certain political discourses have changed not out of ignorance, but as a strategy, exchanging hate for votes. Padula emphasizes that, within the advances of the community, trans people continue to be the most exposed. The episode also addresses effeminacy as a symbol. Boris asserts that it's not something you put on and take off, but a way of being in the world. He recalls how his presence on television helped many families understand their children, even though at the time he wasn't fully aware of its impact. Daniel summarizes it clearly. Bisexuality appears as another territory full of prejudice, even within the community. The discussion touches on the tendency to deny or ridicule it, the discomfort it provokes in more closed-minded identities, and the judgment faced by those who live their desires outside rigid categories. Mia approaches this from her own experience and with a simple idea: life would be easier if we stopped turning the body, genitals, or the way we love into a mandatory explanation. Another central theme arises with the question of changes in government and rights. David argues that if a government doesn't respect their rights, they must protest. Mili calls for accountability from those within the community who vote for political options that could harm those same rights. Mia points out that for some people, especially trans people, political change can directly alter their lives. The debate doesn't seek a comfortable answer. It reveals a real tension between dialogue, voting, responsibility, and survival. Padula explains that two empty chairs represent those who are no longer with us, all the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans people who fought before us so that a conversation like this could exist today. That gesture returns Pride to its roots. To celebrate is also to remember. And to remember is also to assume a responsibility. Pride is not just a party, nor just a demonstration, nor just an identity. It is the possibility of living without hiding, discussing without breaking apart, celebrating without forgetting, and defending the fact that no freedom is guaranteed if we stop protecting it. 1:00 AM Introductions 3:00 AM Trans World 7:00 AM PRIDE in Madrid 5:00 PM Bisexuality