Whilst many hospitality businesses across the region opposed the so-called “tourist tax” on account it would discourage tourism, a factor not experienced in locations where it does exist, at the same time as they are supporting a second runway at Alicante which would increase flight prices to pay for it, may also want to take their pro-tourism fight towards the Vice President on the Valencia Region, who, as is the way for his far-right party Vox, wants to actively reduce the injection from the “pink pound”, following the support for the gay community his boss and appointer, Carlos Mazón, has been involved in.
The first vice president of the Valencian Government and Minister of Culture and Sports, Vicente Barrera , summoned the media this week at the Palau dels Català de Valeriola – the institutional headquarters of his department – to distance himself from the ‘Community Pride’ campaign, initiative presented just three days earlier by the president of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, and the second vice president and councillor of Social Services, Equality and Housing, Susana Camarero, within the framework of the Benidorm Fest aimed at “making visible and celebrating diversity and promoting a inclusive and respectful society in the Valencian Community”, according to its promoters.
The ‘canutazo’ organised by Barrera had the objective of showing his disagreement and disassociating himself from the campaign to promote the recognition of the LGTBI group because, as he assured, they had no prior knowledge, in addition to considering that in the Valencian Community “there is no problem of discrimination, inclusion or tolerance”.
It might be worth remembering that an LGTBI event in Torrevieja had to be cancelled for fear of the safety of those involved after the town hall allowed a Vox event on the same day in the same place. It might also be noted that one of the first acts many of the Vox councillors carried out was the banning of pride flags and painting over elements in support of the community, such as benches. It is also worth pointing out that Vox also believe that violence against women doesn´t exist, despite the data to the contrary.
“We are not willing to buy the ideological framework that the left wants to impose on us. Buying that framework can only lead us sooner or later to repeat laws that are so pernicious for everyone and that we all know are absolutely ideological, such as the ‘yes means yes’ law”, he highlighted.
Mazón himself spoke when questioned about the issue. “It is a personal opinion, which is not the position of the Generalitat government nor what the Generalitat is going to do. Just as it is, just as it sounds,” said the president, who nevertheless admitted the “discrepancy.” “Obviously it is, we have no common ground on this issue,” he added.
