The House of King Felipe VI forgets LGTBIQ+ Pride: striking lack of gestures in this 2026

There are silences that say as much as words. And this year the Royal House has once again shown which symbols it chooses to make visible and which it prefers to keep at a certain distance. I am convinced that the institution feels comfortable with both the Spanish National Team and the LGTBIQ+ collective, but gestures matter. And the difference between them has been evident. While it has fully supported the former, we have found no trace of any public gesture from the Royal Family towards this year's Pride.

In recent weeks, Zarzuela has displayed all its enthusiasm to accompany the Spanish National Team. We have seen messages on social media, a video of Don Felipe, Doña Letizia, Princess Leonor, and Infanta Sofía following the semi-final against France after the Princess of Girona Awards —a very successful publication, by the way— and even the Royal Family's trip to New York to attend the grand final. The logical, reasonable, and appropriate action for an institution that represents the State.

It is clear that sport unites, excites, and represents millions of Spaniards. During these weeks, we have seen how euphoria flooded families and groups of friends. We need it. However, it is worth remembering the words of singer Leire Martínez during Barcelona Pride: "I wish, as a country and as a society, we moved as much for other causes besides football. I wish for causes like freedom and equality." And precisely there is where I also miss the Royal House, because on other occasions it has risen to the occasion.

We have been practically a month of LGTBIQ+ Pride vindication and celebration and, during all this time, we have not found a single gesture from the Royal Household. At least, no public and newsworthy gesture. I am not asking any of its members to attend the massive demonstration in Madrid or Barcelona; I perfectly understand that the safety of Their Majesties and Their Royal Highnesses must be preserved. However, there are countless occasions when a simple gesture could make a difference. For example, attending a Pride event in a rural municipality: it would be a way to support the collective and, at the same time, to focus on what is known as "empty Spain." It is difficult to understand that a modern Royal Household like ours has not found space even for a simple publication on X. It did so in 2017, when Madrid hosted WorldPride.

Furthermore, this absence of gestures is surprising when, precisely, Don Felipe and Doña Letizia, just five days after being proclaimed kings of Spain, received representatives of LGTBIQ+ associations in what was their second official act. The presidents of the then State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals and Bisexuals, Boti García, and of the Triángulo Foundation, José María Núñez-Blanco, were part of the group of more than 300 representatives of social entities that Their Majesties received in the Palace of El Pardo. That meeting marked a before and after in the image of a Crown that aspired to modernize. A source of pride, never better said.

At a time of growing polarization and the rise of hate speech, the Royal Household cannot afford to remain silent. Much less when the Hate State 2026 study, prepared by FELGTBI+ together with the Institute of Public Policies and Goods (IPP-CSIC), concludes that 54% of LGTBI+ people have suffered some act of hate and that 22% have been victims of physical aggression, compared to 7% who declared it in 2024.

Defending the rights of LGTBIQ+ people is not taking a political stance. Equality is part of our country's democratic heritage and all institutions should contribute to protecting it. The Crown does not need to become an activist or take on a role that does not belong to it. It is enough to make a gesture to also connect with and represent those who continue to suffer discrimination daily simply for being who they are. We all make mistakes and have the possibility to change the future, so I trust -because of the great communication team they now have behind them- and wish that next year we can proudly boast about the Royal Household.