Escultura al collectiu homosexual in Sitges

The Escultura al collectiu homosexual is a monument in Sitges in the form of an inverted triangle. It was placed on 5 octubre 2006. The sculpture is a hollow triangular prism made of sheet metal and painted pink, located on the malecón parallel to its route. The inscription says "Sitges contra la homofobia / Mai Més / 5 octubre 1996-2006"; "Mai Més" means "never again" in castellano.

Sitges had become one of the first gay tourist destinations in Spain in the 1980s. However, in 1996, the municipal government began demanding documentation and making police records for homosexuals in the city or on the beach. The municipal police made about 220 records. Tension grew until a group of neo-nazis gave a brutal beating to a bar worker. In response, collectives such as FAGC, CGB, Casal Lambda, and Grup de Lesbianes Feministas called for a demonstration in Sitges on 5 octubre 1996. The Coordinadora Gai-Lesbiana preferred to manifest in Barcelona to avoid increasing tension in Sitges.

At the demonstration in Sitges, the groups found they were facing not only neo-nazis but also groups of citizens organized to insult and throw eggs at the protesters. The groups had to be escorted by the police. As a result, tourist numbers decreased and took years to return to 1996 levels. In desagravio for the events, the ayuntamiento decided to place a sculpture against homophobia in the town.

At the inauguration on 5 octubre 2006, participants included an 18-year-old representative from a youth center in Sitges, representatives from FAGC, Casal Lambda, CGB, and the mayor. The inauguration was accompanied by a photo exhibition of the events and the distribution of posters. Although the sculpture showed signs of graffiti and paint damage by 2008, and was oxidized by 2011, it was restored and relocated to the promenade in 2014.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons