Víctor Gutiérrez explodes in 'Espejo Público' against the head of the bishops for his attack on the LGTBI collective: "Let him apologize and bow his head a little"

Víctor Gutiérrez has responded this Friday with harshness to the president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, Luis Argüello, after his statements against Pride, trans people and the recent reform to criminally punish conversion therapies.

During his intervention on 'Espejo Público', Antena 3's morning show, the PSOE's LGTBI secretary and Member of Congress has asked the Archbishop of Valladolid to "ask for forgiveness and bow his head a little" before again pointing to a collective that, as he recalled, has suffered persecution, rejection, and violence for decades.

"My blood boils," Gutiérrez admitted, who accused Argüello of acting as "a satellite of the right or the far-right" and of using his position at the head of the Spanish Church to fully enter into political confrontation.

"The Church has broken the lives of thousands of people"

The response comes after Argüello spoke of a supposed process of "anthropological deconstruction" in laws on sex and gender. The president of the bishops also linked Pride with "the sin of Satan" and criticized that conversion therapies are punished while, according to him, so-called affirmative therapies are consolidated.

Gutiérrez responded by recalling the harm these practices have caused to those who were subjected to them inside and outside religious environments. "The Church for many years has tortured thousands of LGTBI people. It has broken the lives of thousands of people who have been tried to impose guilt, shame, and fear. They have been tried to cure, redirect, and reorient," he stated.

The socialist deputy also warned that these practices have continued under apparently kinder expressions, such as "spiritual accompaniment" or coaching. In his opinion, changing the name does not eliminate the purpose of trying to modify or repress a person's sexual orientation or gender identity.

The reform against conversion therapies continues in the Senate

Congress approved on June 25 the reform of the Penal Code that proposes to punish these practices with sentences of six months to two years in prison, in addition to fines and disqualifications. The initiative went ahead with 178 votes in favor, 32 against, and 138 abstentions. The Popular Party abstained and the far-right Vox voted against. The text now continues its processing in the Senate.

Argüello tried to clarify his words this Friday. He assured that he has always been against conversion therapies, although he insisted that the law should not "canonize affirmative therapies" either. He also defended that his reference to Pride was related to the religious meaning of the term and accused the media of taking some phrases out of context.

The explanations have not convinced Gutiérrez, who has demanded that the Catholic hierarchy first review its own actions and the consequences of practices promoted or tolerated for years.

“Conversion therapies are torture because nothing can be cured. We are not sick,” he stressed before closing his speech with a direct message to the president of the bishops: “Let them dedicate themselves to solving the problems they have with pedophilia within the Church and let LGTBI people be happy and live peacefully.”